 |
|
|
Smoke-free Status for Bathinda
PSHRC seeks report on arrest of women teachers
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Govt health schemes fail to serve their purpose: Expert
Mobile healthcare need of the hour: Expert
Talent on display
Forum directs finance firm to pay Rs 5,000 compensation
DC convenes meeting to review development works at govt schools
18 quintals of poppy husk seized
Staff on poll duty asked to attend rehearsal today
Medical camp reveals youths suffer from brittle bones
Crime briefs
Hosts made to struggle against Hoshiarpur in cricket tourney
Lord Rama School students win table tennis title
|
|
Smoke-free Status for Bathinda
Bathinda, May 14
These international brands have just a one-line warning (mentioning that tobacco smoking is injurious to health) against tobacco use instead of a pictographic warning, which is mandatory under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). Under the Smoke-Free Bathinda project, the Health Department is supposed to ensure that all brands selling tobacco products like beedis and cigarettes should have a pictographic warning against tobacco use. These warnings can include pictures of affected organs such as mouth cavity and lungs in a bad condition. As per Section 7 of the COTPA, the pictographic warning is mandatory and there is a provision for issuing challans to those companies, which are not abiding by it. The Indian companies are following these guidelines, but the brands imported from other countries do not have such warnings. “Cigarette sellers have promptly put these so-called ‘beautiful’ boxes on display. When we approached some of these sellers, they said the boxes were empty and were displayed as they looked ‘beautiful’ without the usual cautioning pictures which their Indian counterparts had,” said one of the district health officials. He said the sellers were operating in a clandestine manner by putting up empty boxes on display and selling the imported products at a sly. Nodal officer Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa said the staff was facing this problem while working in field. “We have directed these sellers not to display even the empty boxes. Though we cannot take action against these companies, we are trying to discourage their sale or display on the tobacco shops,” he said. Meanwhile, a team of officials of the Health Department removed glow signs of a tobacco product from a shop on Bibiwala Road as it was violation of Section 5 of the Act. PGIMER team visits Primary Health Centre A team from PGIMER Chandigarh, which was in the district to conduct checking for declaring Bathinda smoke-free, inspected the areas around Primary Health Centre, Balianwali. The team members reviewed government institutes and public places such as banks, schools, colleges, hotels, hospitals, railway station and bus stand. They also collected 50 samples of tobacco products from different places.
|
|
PSHRC seeks report on arrest of women teachers
Bathinda, May 14 The police has arrested 100 teachers and registered cases against them for protesting against the Punjab government for delay in release of their salaries. The report is sought by the commission under Section 17 (i) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The commission observed that the women teachers were not committing a crime and their families must be distraught. All sections imposed by the police were wrong. There was no damage to the public property, as claimed by the police, during the protest. The commissioner has sought a report for imposing wrong sections of the IPC when the protesters were demonstrating peacefully and there was no damage to the public property. It is pertinent to mention here that a large number of teachers were arrested and manhandled by the police force to dismantle their protest against the delay in release of their salaries, reinstatement or other demands. The teacher unions, terming their agitation as justified, said they had been protesting peacefully against the government for the acceptance of their genuine demands.
|
|
Govt health schemes fail to serve their purpose: Expert
Bathinda, May 14 Elaborating on his point, he added, “The Indian government has been emphasising on the National Rural Health Mission, but the ambitious scheme has failed to meet its purpose. Scores of Indians, residing in pockets in rural areas, are still unaware about the NRHM and fail to be benefited by it. Shortage of doctors ails the scheme.” “And this is the reason why the application of the mobile healthcare system will be a hit in India. Mobile healthcare system is the latest development in the field of medicine. If a person can’t go to the doctor, his reports and diagnosis will reach the doctor and the medicines and treatment will be delivered to him through this system,” he added. He also deliberated on the fact that although application of the mobile health healthcare system was the future, doctors required training to utilise such technology. It is also important to spread awareness about its nuances. Explaining why instead of calling it a service, the healthcare system should now be called as industry, he said, “While the government health set-up is marred by corruption, malpractices and a lack of doctors, the number of private players in the field is increasing considerably. Nowadays, many private hospitals are opening their branches even in tier-two cities to tap the prospects.” “Interestingly, the first laboratory which has been setup in Dehradun to conduct research and development in the field of mobile healthcare services is not a government enterprise. It has been set up by
Fortis. That is the kind of the web that the private players have in the healthcare set-up in India. A common man doesn’t get redressal in government hospitals and is exploited in private hospitals,” he added. “There is a big market for information technology in the health sector, but India lacks the basic infrastructure for this development. There is a need for cooperation among doctors, engineers and highly developed means of communication so that this technique may be made available to those in need of it,” he said.
|
||
|
Mobile healthcare need of the hour: Expert
Bathinda, May 14 Prof Moin Uddin, who is currently serving as the pro-vice chancellor of Delhi Technological University, spoke on 'Application of ICT in Mobile Health Care System'. Vice-chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Prof Jai Rup Singh, welcomed the distinguished speakers and guests from the region and spoke on the need for an inter-disciplinary approach in all spheres of education and research. Stressing on the need for a combination of traditional approaches and new techniques in the field of healthcare, he said information and communication technology can play an important role in the sphere and scientists across the world are making constant efforts to make this successful. Dean (academic affairs) Prof P Ramarao, while introducing the work and achievements of Prof Moin Uddin, said since completing his PhD from the University of Roorkee, Prof Moin Uddin has been teaching for 38 years at various institutions of higher learning in India. He has been associated with Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi, REC, Srinagar, NIT, Jalandhar and several other institutes of higher learning. Delivering his special lecture, Prof Moin Uddin said India is full of biological diversity and this diversity can also be seen in geographical, social, economic and several other levels. The health of the people is dependent on several factors such as economic growth, population, education, literacy and per capita income. He added that there is a dearth of adequate medical facilities and there is a low doctor-patient ratio in India and mobile health care services can prove beneficial in reducing the gap. By using information technology, the record of a patient can be analysed by doctors located at far-away places and immediate advice and treatment can be given. In his concluding remarks, Prof Moin Uddin tried to motivate the new generation to come forward and conduct research in the field and also resolved the queries of the audience. Prof RG Saini proposed a vote of thanks at the conclusion of the event. The event was attended by eminent members of institutes from the region, senior citizens and faculty and students of the Central University of Punjab,
Bathinda.
|
||
|
Talent on display
Bathinda, May 14 Congratulating the school heads for publishing annual school magazines, the additional
director said in a letter that it was not possible to accommodate all writings submitted by the students in an annual school magazine, so the same could be displayed on the wall magazine. The letter stated that the students, who must have been disheartened after their writings were not chosen for the magazine, would be happy with the development. To encourage the students to write and express their thoughts, the school heads have been directed to make a wall magazine
to display writings of the students. The writings shall be displayed for at least a week or two. The heads have also been asked to choose a wall outside the library or a place which is often visited by the students
so that they can easily read the articles and poems on display. After fresh writings are displayed, the old ones need to be kept safe so that the same may be used the next time when a magazine is printed. The articles should be displayed according to their subjects and writings related to special days. The additional director of the SSA also mentioned in the letter that the idea was shared with the Education Department by some teachers and school
heads only. The letter also added that the entire stock of writings to be displayed till the next magazine is printed.
Directions issued
|
||
|
Forum directs finance firm to pay Rs 5,000 compensation
Bathinda, May 14 Earlier in March, the Forum directed Mahindra Finance, located in Model Town phase-1, to pay a sum of Rs 5,000 and asked the firm to issue form 35 or no-objection certificate (NOC) to the complainant. The counsel for the complainant, Harjinder Sidhu, said a complaint was lodged with the Forum by Surjeet Singh who accused the finance company of not giving form-35 despite having paid the entire loan amount. Surjeet had purchased a Mahindra tractor by obtaining loan from Mahindra Finance in September 2007. Surjeet said the loan amount of the tractor was Rs 2 lakhs and he had paid Rs 3.66 lakhs in 12 installments to the finance company along with the rate of interest. He alleged that the tractor was impounded by the company on the pretext of non-payment of loan installments. After taking the tractor into possession, the company removed the hook, stereo, weight and drawer of the tractor and also extracted 40 litres of diesel, worth nearly Rs 10,000. The complainant said his tractor remained impounded by the opposite party for a month and it was given on rent to a refinery in the process of which he incurred a loss of Rs 40,000. The complainant said despite making the full payment, the registration certificate was with the finance company. Despite his repeated requests, he failed to get it. The finance company, however, claimed that the complainant is yet to give Rs 36,715. The consumer forum, after listening to the arguments of both the parties, ordered the finance company to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation along with form-35 and the remaining amount to be paid by the complainant was quashed. The counsel for the complainant Harjinder Sidhu said a fresh application has been moved in the consumer forum seeking compliance of the orders of the Forum. |
||
|
DC convenes meeting to review development works at govt schools
Bathinda, May 14 Present during the meeting were the District Education Officer (Secondary) Harkanwaljit Kaur, DEO (Elementary) Dr Amarjit Kaur Kotfatta, district resource person of Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikhsha Abhiyaan (RMSA) Harcharan Singh and officials of the DIET and In-service Training Centre in Bathinda. The DC sought the progress report of the development projects being undertaken in the schools and also reviewed the mid-day meal scheme. He cautioned all the school heads against any kind of negligence in serving the meals to the students. He also reviewed the state of affairs at the Adarsh and Model Schools in the district. When the issue of the delay in the construction of rooms at the Government Primary School in Dhobiana Basti came up, he asked the authorities to contact the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) and make sure that the rooms are completed within the stipulated time period. |
||
|
18 quintals of poppy husk seized
Bathinda, May 14 Police said the cost of the poppy husk recovered from the accused is estimated to be nearly Rs 22.5 lakhs. A case under sections 15, 25, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused at the Canal Colony police station. The accused were clandestinely carrying the poppy husk in a truck loaded with animal feed. They crossed the police check-points of Haryana and Rajasthan and were caught near the Doomwali barrier while entering Bathinda. The accused admitted to bringing eight to ten consignments from Rajasthan to Punjab. They admitted having purchased poppy husk for Rs 400 per kg from Rajasthan for selling it in Punjab at the rate of Rs 1,200 per kilogram. Meanwhile, in another incident, police arrested a resident of 60 feet road with three grams of smack. The accused, Balwinder Singh, was caught carrying the drugs near the Sports Stadium, Bathinda. The accused was taken to the Civil Lines police station where a case under the NDPS Act was registered against the accused. |
||
|
Staff on poll duty asked to attend rehearsal today
Bathinda, May 14 Addressing a meeting of the officials to discuss arrangements for the elections, Kamal Kishore Yadav directed the officials to ensure hundred per cent attendance of the staff from various departments for polling duty. Yadav said only a woman employee whose child is below six months of age or who is pregnant, has been exempted from duty. A handicapped employee, who cannot perform election duty or one who is near his retirement, has been exempted from election duty. Other than these categories, no other employee will be exempted from election duty, the DC added. "If any employee tries to seek exemption on the basis of forged, doctored or fake documents, strict action will be taken against him or her," said Yadav, and warned that if any employee is found absent during the May 15 rehearsal, action will be taken against him under section 120 of the Punjab State Election Commission Act 1994. The election supervisors were directed to inform about all aspects of the election duty to the employees deputed for the task. He appealed to the election staff to work honestly and with transparency. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development)-cum-additional district election officer Mohammad Tayyab, district development and panchayat officer Rajinder Batra and others were also present at the meeting held to review arrangements. |
||
|
Medical camp reveals youths suffer from brittle bones
Bathinda, May 14 The findings came to the fore during a free camp held to check bone and joints besides gynaecological problems today. During the camp, the team, under the supervision of the ortho-surgeon, Dr Divakar Garg, conducted bone mineral density (BMD) test to screen the strength of the bones free of cost. Over 150 patients availed of the test at the camp. Dr Garg said almost two-third of the young patients showed lower bone strength. "The primary reason for it is attributed to the sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits and lack of exercise and sun exposure in today's busy world," he said. Under another initiative, gynaecologist Dr Monica Gupta provided free consultation to the female patients. Most of the patients had complaints of excessive menstrual bleeding. Dr Monica said the reason for this was primarily obesity, again due to lifestyle and eating habits. Managing Director, Health Street Hospitals, Dr Ajay Gupta announced a free check-up camp for abdominal and liver diseases in children in collaboration with Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Bathinda, on May 26 at the hospital premises. Renowned paediatric gastroenterologist, hepatology and liver transplant expert Dr Neelam Mohan will provide free consultation and guidance to the patients. |
||
|
Crime briefs
Bathinda, May 14 Man booked for rash driving
Police has registered a case against the driver of an unidentified vehicle for driving rashly and injuring a resident of Bangi Nihal Singhwala village. The complainant Jaswinder Singh said the vehicle hit the bike of his uncle, Jassa Singh, near
Sukhladdi. A case has been registered at Rama police station. —
TNS |
||
|
Hosts made to struggle against Hoshiarpur in cricket tourney
Bathinda, May 14 Winning the toss, Hoshiarpur chose to field first. Unlike in its match against Faridkot, none of the players of the Bathinda team could cross the 40-run mark. Jashnpreet and Navkaran scored 38 runs each and Arjun Singh, who had scored an unbeaten 129 against Faridkot, managed to score only 24 runs against Hoshiarpur. Arjun Jonti of Hoshiarpur managed to mount pressure on Bathinda by grabbing six wickets and was instrumental in stopping Bathinda at 182. At the end of the day's play, Hoshiarpur scored 68 for the loss of three wickets. Bathinda's Kamaljit and Bhanupratap took two and one wickets, respectively. As many as 20 districts of Punjab are participating in the tournament. The teams have been divided into three groups. Both Bathinda and Hoshiarpur are in Group B. |
||
|
Lord Rama School students win table tennis title
Bathinda, May 14 A total of 10 teams (Under-16) boys and girls participated in the championship. The boys' team of Lord Rama Public School bagged the second position in the championship. The girls' team also grabbed the second position.
|
|
| 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 | |
In their bid to declare Bathinda smoke-free by May 31, the health authorities are finding it an uphill task to control the international tobacco brands that do not abide by the Tobacco Control Act.
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has sought a report from the state Home Department through the Bathinda SSP in connection with the arrest of women CSS (Center Sponsored Scheme)
teachers.
As opposed to the American government and government of developed countries which are investing a huge amount of money for developing the public healthcare system, the Indian government is not willing to diversify the health services to make it available to everyone across the country, said Prof Moin
Uddin, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Delhi Technological University. He was here today to deliver a special lecture at the Central University of Punjab.
Carrying forward the series of lectures organised to mark the commemoration of National Technology Day at the Central University of Punjab,
Bathinda, a special lecture by Prof Moin Uddin was organised today.
Bathinda, May 14
