Amritsar, August 29
Deputy Commissioner came face to face with hoards of problems faced by the patients during an inspection at government medical institutions late last night.

As the DC Ravi Bhagat reached Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital at about 10:0 pm, he found unsanitary conditions, improper attendance register and patient's attendant complaining misbehaviour on the part of the doctors.

Afterwards as Ravi Bhagat reached Guru Nanak Dev Hospital at 11:45 pm, he found that no attendance register was available with the Emergency Medical Officer. He was informed that the employees usually mark their attendance next morning. Bhagat expressed his displeasure and instructed to make the register available during duty hours.

The patients at the hospital complained of medical staff insisting on getting blood tests conducted from outside. On enquiry, the DC was informed that the hospital does not have the facility to conduct HIV, Hepatitis B and C test after 12 am. The patients complained that they have to often purchase medicines from the market. The pharmacist available on duty also failed to produce medicine stock register.

The DC also took notice of the unhygienic conditions at the operation theatre. He also found that oxygen cylinder of one of the patients at was not properly working.

The patients reported unsympathetic attitude of the doctors and staff as Bhagat found a girl writhing in pain as her attendants informed him that she was not admitted to the hospital. Bhagat expressed the need for an enquiry counter to guide patients properly.

In his report, the Deputy Commissioner has mentioned that he was informed that the medical superintendent at hospital has never made any night visits.

He also found only three PG doctors and one senior resident on duty at Bebe Nanki Mother and Child Care Centre while no regular medical officer was present.

The employees at the hospital complained absence of security staff. The DC also took notice of the unsanitary conditions prevailing in the washrooms.

The Deputy Commissioner has sent a report of the inspection to the Principal Secretary Health and recommended constitution of a special team to conduct a thorough inspection to find the shortcomings. 

Amritsar, August 29
All the government health institutions in district boycotted services to express their anguish over the police department's failure to arrest owner of a private hospital and his supporters for misbehaving with senior health officials during an inspection.

The PCMS Specialists Association and Civil Hospital Welfare Association leaders said services as examinations of rape victims, no injury certificates for persons brought in by the police and medico legal cases were boycotted.

The employees also observed a pen-down strike for two hours, besides shouting slogans against the police department for inaction against Narang Hospital owner Ashwani Narang and his supporters.

Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal of the PCMS Specialists Association said the doctors would not write any no injury certificates, rape victim examinations and MLR reports till the time the police arrests the accused.

Rakesh Kumar of the Employees Welfare Association said, "Even as the police department has imposed Section 144 of the CrPc in city, it has failed to take any notice of the crowd gathered by Narang Hospital owner." He said shamefully the supporters of hospital owner made visiting health team conduct inspection under their terms and conditions.

The police had registered a case against Ashwani Narang and others on August 22 but failed to arrest any of the accused as demanded by the health employees.

Meanwhile, over 12 associations of health department employees met today to discuss the strategy to take the fight to the next level.

The representatives of the PCMS Association, Medical Lab Technicians Union, Para Medical Workers union, Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, Health Workers Union, Drivers' Association, Staff Nurses Union, ANM LHV Union, Dental College Para Medical Union and Punjab Pharmacists Association expressed solidarity for the cause and announced that if the police fails to arrest the accused, the OPD services at institutes would be stopped. All the associations criticised the police department for failing to take any action and announced to join the protest.

A health team led by Civil Surgeon Dr Rajiv Bhalla had gone to Narang Hospital to conduct a maternal death review on August 21. However, the supporters of the owner had obstructed the team from entering the hospital and misbehaved with the officials. 

Amritsar, August 29
Even as the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (AMC), apparently embarrassed by the SGPC's decision to take the cleanliness work around the Golden Temple from September 1, today initiated a drive to ensure cleanliness around the holy shrine, the unhygienic condition still persists.

When the Amritsar Tribune team visited the area it found the heaps of garbage was lying by the roadside, an overflowing sewerage manhole and refuse litter at various spots.

Public and commuters did not bother to release the refuse in the dustbins. Instead, garbage was strewn over the road and around the garbage containers. Utter disregard of the civic amenities was visible. When contacted, AMC...

Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, said: he spotted two shopkeepers inside Hall gate consigning refuse on the road in day time. He said he approached them and requested to thrown the garbage only in dustbins. He said the AMC today initiated the 10-day-long drive to make the surroundings of the Golden Temple garbage free but it would remain incomplete without the support of public, residents and shopkeepers of the area.

Under the drive, safai karamcharis would visit the area after every hour to ensure constant clean roads. He said it would take about 10 days to beef up infrastructure and logistics on the four roads leading to the Golden Temple.

These four roads are from Hall Gate, Sikandari Gate, Sheran Wala Gate and Ghee mandi to the Golden Temple. He informed that eight new dustbins on these roads were installed today which took the total number of dustbin there to 22. He said soon 10 more dustbins would also be installed on these roads.

Besides, two auto-rickshaws, four trolleys, six cycle rickshaws, six handcarts and a truck would arrive within next 10 days to beef up the logistics for sanitary. Besides, green plantation drive on Shera Wala and Ghee Mandi roads would be initiated.

After these ten days, a drive to educate shopkeepers and residences on these stretches would be initiated to keep their surroundings clean. He said a plan has been chalked out to prepare clusters of buildings and shops. He elaborated that each cluster would comprise 15 buildings. He said he and other officers of the AMC would hold discussions with inhabitants and shopkeepers of these buildings to know the problems being faced in constantly keeping the area clean besides making them aware of significance of cleanliness.

For the purpose, four sanitary inspectors, SDO horticulture, an XEN each of (operation, maintenance and civil), an estate officer under the Medical Officer Health, who would be nodal officer of the project, besides safai karamcharis, have been pressed in the area.

Earlier, the SGPC has announced to take up the task of cleanliness around the Golden Temple from September 1. A special cleanliness drive, in collaboration with volunteers, it would cover not only the galliara, but also the streets leading to the holy shrine.

Amritsar, August 29
Activists of the Punjab Students Union (PSU) staged a protest against Guru Nanak Dev University authorities over the incident in which a girl hosteller was allegedly molested by an intruder earlier this month.

Even as the protest was planned to express solidarity with the students, none of the Guru Nanak Dev University students participated in the strike. Most of the protestors included school students dressed in their school uniforms.

As the protestors moved towards blocking traffic on the road outside the university, the police and the university's security opposed the move. PSU's leader Harpreet Singh said even as the Pharmacy Council of India has not accredited the pharmacy course at the GNDU, it has committed fraud with students by enrolling students in the course. 

Amritsar, August 29
Thousands of commuters are daily undergoing traffic nightmare while crossing through the roads where construction work for ambitious Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) is in progress as the authorities have failed to raze encroachments.

While the authorities have occupied a substantial part of key roads for the construction work, equally significant stretch of the road has been illegally encroached upon by the shopkeepers, leaving very little space for the commuters.

They are facing major problem on the railway station road where 80 per cent of the entry point is shut for the BRTS. Similar problem persists on the Batala road.

Vidya Sagar, a resident of the Airport road, said, it was shocking that the government occupied a major portion of the stretch on Railway Link road for construction work but did not bother to remove the encroachment to widen the operational road for movement of traffic.

He said the shopkeepers also did not show any sensitivity to the needs and inconvenience to thousands of commuters using the road. These shopkeepers have parked their merchandise bicycles and spare parts and other material over the road. At places over ten feet road has been encroached upon to display their material.

A resident of Batala road, Sawinder Singh, said: "It is pathetic that the public has been left to fend for themselves. When it comes to the removal of encroachment shopkeepers become united. So I feel that the authorities prefer to look the other way as commuters can never be united and raise their voice on the issue."

A narrow passage has been given to commuters while a major portion of the road is occupied by the BRTS and encroachment by shopkeepers.

A whopping Rs 580-crore BRTS project entails a massive network of 30.73 km. As many as seven dedicated corridors were to be built in the city, for which 2.5 metre-wide columns were to be erected in the middle of these roads. An elevated road will be constructed on these columns for plying of buses.

These elevated corridors would be built on Albert Road, Bhandari Bridge loop, Bhandari Bridge roundabout to Daburji bypass, Central Core Hussainpura Chowk to Celebration Mall to Kitchlu Chowk to Albert Road junction, SSSS Chowk to Crystal Chowk, Celebration Mall to NH bypass, NH bypass to Verka canal and ROB at Verka.

Meanwhile, a horse of a cart got today allegedly electrocuted after it touched an iron barricade which was in contact with live wire on Batala road.

When contacted Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said, he would depute staff to remove encroachments on these roads. 

Amritsar, August 29
Panic gripped shopkeepers and residents of the Court Road area as two groups fired shots at each other during a clash. A police party from the Civil Lines reached the spot and took four persons in custody.

The accused were identified as Resham Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Simranjit Singh and Jagdeep Singh. The police officials reported that no one was hurt in the incident.

The police said two groups had an old enmity and the police had earlier registered a case against Sulakhan Singh, who is a brother of Resham Singh, for the murder of Prabhjot Singh's brother Karan Jaspal Singh on July 7 this year.

While the police have arrested five of the total nine accused, Sulakhan Singh is still absconding.

As Prabhjot Singh had information about ...

Sulakhan Singh hiding at a home in Ranjit Avenue, he informed the police about his presence. As Sulakhan Singh left the place in a car, Prabhjot Singh started following him.

When the two parties confronted each other near Court Road, they started firing at each other. In the ruckus created afterwards, Sulakhan Singh managed to escape. Meanwhile, as Resham Singh is a kanungo with the Revenue Department.—TNS

Amritsar Tribune invites feedback from its readers on issues of public concern relating to Amritsar city and the nearby areas. Readers can email their views to

feedback.asr@gmail.com

They can also send their views to: Feedback, Amritsar Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh - 160029. Letters sent by post must mention 'Feedback for Amritsar Tribune' on the envelope and it should be signed and must contain the address and telephone number of the sender. It should not be more than 150 words.