Kupwara, July 27
Panic over the outbreak of deadly Hepatitis-B infection has gripped the remote Kakad hamlet in Lolab valley of Kupwara district as at least 23 persons were found to be infected with the disease.

A few days ago, 10 cases had been tested positive for the disease.

Kupwara Block Medical Officer Dr Farooq Qureshi said, “As many as 23 cases have been tested Hepatitis-B positive so far. We may collect more samples from the hamlet to check the spread of the disease.”

Reports said locals were visiting Sub-District Hospital (SDH), Sogam, for medical check-up following the outbreak. The health authorities are administering the Hepatitis-B vaccine to the un-affected persons to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

“We have administered vaccines to many unaffected people in the hamlet, especially the members of affected families, so that the viral infection does not spread further. A team of health educators is making people aware of the deadly infections and precautionary measures,” said the BMO.

The disease involves a costly treatment and is not curable in most of the cases. Affected persons, most of them labourers, appealed to the government to provide them free treatment in government-run hospitals.

“I am a daily labourer and cannot afford the costly treatment of my brother suffering from the infection. I am afraid that I cannot save his life unless the government provides a free treatment to him,” said Naseer Ahmad, a local resident.

A senior doctor at the SDH, Sogam, said villagers were visiting the hospital for medical check-up. “Many locals, including women, visited the hospital for a medical check-up. Family members of the affected families are prone to an infection and they should take necessary precaution to avoid the infection,” he said.

Dismissing fear among inhabitants that the viral infection was water-borne and they were suffering due to consumption of contaminated water, a doctor said the infection is blood-borne and spreads through infected needles and unsafe blood transfusion. “There is no need to panic. A medical team is conducting awareness programme to educate people about the deadly infection and measures to prevent the spread of infection,” he said.

Hepatitis B is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that affects hominoidea, including humans. The virus is transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids such as semen and vaginal fluids, while viral DNA has been detected in the saliva, tears, and urine of chronic carriers.

Srinagar, July 27
The police today solved a case of burglary within eight hours of the commission of crime and arrested two burglars in the city here.

One of the two arrested burglars was a maid who worked in residential houses making reconnaissance for the burglary, a senior police officer said. Gold worth Rs 15 lakh and an amount of Rs 11,000 was recovered from the arrested burglars.

Srinagar SSP Ashiq Bukhari said Fida Hussain Magloo, a resident of a Lal Bazar, reported to the police about the burglary of gold and cash at his home.

Acting on the information, a police team rushed to the spot and the scene of crime was preserved, Bukhari said.

“Inspection of the scene of crime provided some clues which led to the arrest of the maid,” the officer said.

On her confession, gold ornaments worth 15 lakh and an ammount of Rs 11,000 were recovered. “On her instance, another accused involved in the commission of crime was also arrested. The recoveries were made within eight hours of the commission of offence,” he said. — TNS

Anantnag, July 27
Protests erupted in Tral town of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district after a woman (28) died after delivering a baby, allegedly due to negligence of doctors at a local Sub-District Hospital.

As per the reports, Afroz Akhtar, a resident of Tral Bala, was admitted to the hospital on Friday.

“Soon after she delivered a baby girl, she breathed her last at the hospital,” family members of the woman said, alleging that, she died due to an overdose of anaesthesia.

As soon as the news of the death spread in the area, shops and other work places were closed and residents held protest demonstrations demanding an immediate action to be taken against the erring doctors.

“Few residents ransacked the Sub-District Hospital, Tral,” reports said, adding that, “People in large numbers came and broke the window panes and furniture of the hospital.”

Meanwhile, doctors at the hospital maintained that the patient had been referred to a hospital in Srinagar, where she breathed her last.

“She developed some complicacy after she delivered the baby and was referred to Srinagar for specialised treatment,” said a doctor at the Sub-District Hospital, wishing anonymity.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Pulwama, Manzoor Ahmad Lone, has ordered an inquiry into the death of the woman.

“I have ordered an inquiry into the matter to ascertain the facts,” Lone said, adding that, “The Medical Superintendent (MS) of the District Hospital, Pulwama, will head the inquiry and a report will be submitted by him within a stipulated period.”

Protesters in Tral were pacified only after they were informed that the probe would be conducted into the death of the woman.

Meanwhile, the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) has condemned the attack on the hospital premises.

“We understand that emotions run high when we lose some loved one and we do acknowledge that a thorough probe should be conducted,” said Dr Mir Mushtaq, spokesperson, DAK.

“Ransacking the hospital and attacking doctors is uncalled for,” he said.

He said an action should be taken against the people who have attacked the hospital in Tral today.

“It has become a norm, whenever somebody dies at a hospital people come and damage the hospital property and manhandle the doctors,” Mir said.

He said the authorities should look into the matter and make sure that the hospitals were secure.

Srinagar, July 27
A girl (22) was found hanging at her home in Budshah Nagar locality of the city, while three others, including a minor boy, attempted to commit suicide in north Kashmir, a police spokesperson said.

After conducting all legal formalities, the police handed over the body of the girl to her family, the spokesman said. A case under Section 174 of the CrPC has been registered and the police has initiated inquest proceeding to investigate the cause of the death.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents in north Kashmir, three persons, including a minor boy and a woman, have attempted to commit suicide.

Imran Ahmad Bhat (16), a resident of Heel Jageer village of Baramulla district, consumed a poisonous substance at his home. The boy was immediately rushed to the SKIMS Hospital where he was under observation, the police spokesman said.

In a second case in Baramulla, Nasir Ahmad Bhat of Ijara village near Boniyar township consumed a poisonous substance at his home, the spokesman said. Bhat was, however, shifted to a hospital.

The third suicide attempt took place in Kupwara district where a woman, whose name has been withheld, consumed a poisonous substance at her home in Sogam. The woman was shifted to Sub District Hospital, Sogam, the spokesman said.

Srinagar, July 27
The Srinagar Master Plan will be placed in the public domain to seek suggestions from the people on the Land Use Plan for the proposed Greater Srinagar Metropolitan Area.

This was announced today at the technical committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) vice-chairman Mohammad Shafi Rather.

Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) vice-chairman Irfan Yasin, Municipal Commissioner GN Qasba, R&B Kashmir Chief Engineer MA Lone, Chief Town Planner (Kashmir) Hakeem Iftikhar, J&K Chief Architect VC Pant and architectural consultant Muneer Ahmad Khan were present at the meeting.

“Members of the committee, after taking a detailed review of the draft Master Plan, put forth some suggestions, including provision for flyovers, widened road networks, subways, dedicated parking lots, recreational facilities and new housing and commercial centres, to be incorporated in the Land Use Plan. At the same time, it stressed the need of having a Master Plan that goes in tune with the socio-economic profile of the Srinagar city,” a SDA spokesman said.

A discussion was held on various contours of the Master Plan, including education, information technology, industry, agro activities, tourism, handicrafts and medical city.

Members at the meeting were informed that after incorporating feasible suggestions put forth by the Technical Committee for the Master Plan, the document would go for an interim approval to the Minister for Urban Development, Nawang Rigzin Jora.

“After the approval by the minister, the draft Master Plan would be uploaded on the SDA website to seek opinions from the general public,” the SDA vice-chairman said. He said the draft Master Plan would be placed in the public domain by the second week of August.

The members were informed that for the first time the Srinagar Master Plan would include the Zonal Plans, wherein the Land Use Plan would be enumerated at the micro-level.

The midterm review of the Srinagar Master Plan 2000-2021 was undertaken by the SDA in February 2012 to suggest ways to make the document more realistic and feasible in consonance with the ground realities, besides taking care of inaccuracies in the existing Master Plan.

Pertinently, the SDA Board, in a landmark decision last month, had approved extension of the Greater Srinagar local area from the existing 417 km to 757 km.

Srinagar, July 27
Complying with the High Court directions, the Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) has referred the vacant positions of lecturers at Government Medical College (GMC) at Srinagar and Jammu, to the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Out of these forwarded vacancies, recommendations for filling 38 posts of lecturers in different departments have been received, including 23 posts at GMC, Srinagar, and 15 posts at GMC, Jammu.

This has been revealed by the Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department in his affidavit to the High Court this week, which is hearing a PIL filed in the wake of infant deaths at 
the GB Pant Children Hospital last year.

“In the compliance with the directions issued vide order dated July 8, 2013, an affidavit has been filed by the Commissioner/Secretary to the government, H&ME Department, wherein vacancy position has been clearly indicated,” a High Court division Bench which perused the affidavit said in its orders passed this week and made available today.

“The posts of lecturers vacant, both in GMC, Srinagar, and GMC, Jammu, have been referred to the Public Service Commission, out of which 23 and 15 recommendations, respectively have been received,” the bench observed in its orders while revealing the contents of the affidavit filed by the H&ME authorities.

In the affidavit by the Commissioner/Secretary, the Bench observed in its orders, it has also been said that seven more posts had become vacant, which have also been referred to the PSC and the process for filling the remaining posts of lecturers was pending before the GMC.

The court had on July 8 asked him to explain what steps had been taken to fill the vacant posts at the GMC, Srinagar and Jammu.

During an earlier hearing on May 31, it had come on record before the HC Bench that there was a shortage of teachers at GMC as out of sanctioned 507 staff, only 222 were in place.

In its fresh orders, the High Court has also directed senior Additional Advocate General to collect information from the authorities concerned about the steps being taken to construct a super-speciality children’s hospital at the land identified by the state government near Hajj House, Bemina, Srinagar.

In this regard, the senior Additional Advocate General has been directed to file his response to the court within a period of two weeks.

Besides, the court has also permitted the Medical Superintendent of GB Pant Children's Hospital, Dr Muneer Masoodi, to file written suggestions aimed at further reducing and controlling the infant mortality rate in the hospital, which according to him was now lower than the national average, but still a bit higher. 

Kupwara, July 27
Residents of Radbook and its adjoining villages in Handwara tehsil today held a protest against the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department for its failure to supply drinking water.

They said even during Ramadan, the department had failed to ensure the smooth water supply. They raised slogans against the Public Health Engineering and blocked the Kupwara-Handwara road near Radbook for about two hours till 1 pm.

They said they were suffering due to shortage of water for the past few weeks. They threatened to intensify protests if the water supply was not restored at the earliest.

They said in the absence of drinking water, they were forced to fetch contaminated water for a nearby nullah.

“The consumption of contaminated water has led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases like Cholera and gastroenteritis in villages,” said Rafiq Ahmad of Radbook.

“Despite repeated pleas, the Public Health Engineering division has not bothered to restore the water supply. We will be forced to intensify protests, if the water supply was not restored,” said Zoona Begum of Nutnoosa village.

Amina Begum said, “We are forced to fetch contaminated water from a nearby nullah, which has led to the outbreak of gastroenteritis. The water division should press water tankers into service at the earliest to address the problem.”

The protesters were pacified after getting assurance from officials of the PHE division, Handwara. “We will press water tankers into service to provide them the drinking water. The supply would also be restored to normal in a few days,” said a PHE official. 

Srinagar, July 27
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar today said healthcare was the topmost priority of the government and several innovative measures had been taken to upgrade the health-related infrastructure across the state during the past four years.

The minister was interacting with prominent citizens and doctors while reviewing the pace of work on the construction of new building of Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial (JLMN) Hospital which was under execution at an estimated cost of Rs 58 crore.

The minister directed the executing agency to speed up the pace of work and complete the project within the stipulated period of time so that the people living in the old city get better healthcare facilities. He directed the officers concerned to work in close coordination so that the bottlenecks, if any, were removed and the project gets completed expeditiously.

The minister also directed the officers concerned to develop necessary parking facilities on the premises of the hospital for the convenience of the people. He also inspected the pace of progress on the proposed shopping complex which was under construction on the hospital premises.

The minister was informed that an amount of Rs 4 crore had been sanctioned under the NRHM for an overall development of the JLNM hospital.

The minister also visited Gousia Hospital, Khanyar, and inspected the facilities available there. He directed the Medical Superintendent to install air conditioner in the hospital for which the funds would be provided out of his constituency development funds. He directed the administration to maintain proper sanitation in and around the hospital and improve medicare facilities in the hospital.

Srinagar, July 27
A lok adalat was organised at Magam today in which 53 cases were settled amicably, a statement said here.

The lok adalat was organised under the chairmanship of Mansoor Ahmad Lone, chairman, Tehsil Legal Services Committee, Magam, and Fozia Paul, Munsiff, Budgam, at Munsiff Court, Magam, it said.

“As many as 113 cases of different nature were taken up during the lok adalat, out of which 53 cases were settled amicably,” the statement said, adding that advocates, a large number of litigants and respectable persons of the area were also present on the occasion. Another lok adalat would be held at the court complex, Sopore, on July 30 in which tow benches would sit, the statement added.

“The first bench will be presided over by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore, and the second bench will be presided over by the District Mobile Magistrate, Sopore,” it said, adding that parties interested to settle their disputes amicably in the said lok adalat were informed to approach courts by or before July 29.