Patients bear brunt as doctors continue stir in WB

Agencies
June 16, 2019

Kolkata, Jun 16: Patients have been facing the heat of junior doctors' protest in West Bengal as services remained affected in state-run hospitals and colleges for the sixth day on Sunday.

At SSKM hospital in Kolkata, Raiganj-resident Samuel Haque, who was admitted with a cardiac problem, said he was uncertain about his treatment.

His brother said, "We came to Kolkata last Sunday when everything was normal and the outpatient department was functioning. We admitted him on an emergency basis, with doctors giving date on Tuesday for check-up, following which the date of surgery was to be decided."

But now no doctor is attending to Haque, he said.

Senior doctors say they don't have enough hands to conduct tests, he said.

"His condition is deteriorating. We cannot take him home because it is very difficult for my brother to travel long distance in trains. We will wait till Monday."

Services in emergency wards, outdoor facilities and pathological units of many hospitals have been hit. The doctor's strike began after two of their colleagues were assaulted at the NRS Medical College and Hospital by family members of a patient, who died on Monday night.

They demand adequate security.

Hundreds of doctors have resigned en masse in support of their colleagues. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the junior doctors to return to work and said her government had accepted their demands.

But the doctors have demanded a dialogue with the government before ending their stir.

The strike has caused immense trouble for patients.

Joydeb Roy, a resident of Barishat in North 24 Parganas district, was admitted to R G Kar hospital in Kolkata with an injured leg.

A relative said he was referred to a government hospital, where he had to undergo surgery to place a metallic plate in his leg on an emergency-basis. He is waiting for the surgery.

"The senior doctors are saying they need help of junior doctors to conduct the surgery. My husband is lying in the department (ward) waiting for treatment," Roy's wife said.

Junior doctors are the mainstay of any state-run college-hospital.

Mokhtar Hussain's family members are planning to return home in Basirhat. They have been waiting for two days at the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital for treatment to resume for Hussain, a cancer patient.

"I am suffering from high fever for seven days. I cannot bear the pain. But there is no doctor to carry out check-up. The OPD has been shut for two days and I cannot go anywhere else as things are the same there as well. I don't know what to do. I cannot spend this much money to stay here in Kolkata. I will go back home," he said.

Family members of the four-year-old Romita Dhar, a thalassaemia patient, too face a similar dilemma.

When Dhar's family took her to Chittaranjan National Medical College and Hospital for check-up on Friday, they were told to come on Saturday.

"It is very difficult to travel with a child who is suffering from thalassaemia. I'll again come next week," her mother Arundhaty Roy said.

The patients admitted in government hospitals are also facing problems with pathological units not functioning as usual.

"We don't have much money to afford treatment at private hospitals. I appeal to the chief minister to find a solution to this problem.

"Why cannot our chief minister come for a meeting with the doctors... They (junior doctors) have been saying they will end the stir if she comes to the NRS hospital for a meeting," mother of Bastab Dasgupta, who suffers from neurological problem and is admitted at NRS Medical College and Hospital, said.

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News Network
May 20,2020

New Delhi, May 20: With 5,611 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 tally reached 1,06,750 on Wednesday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As many as 140 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths to 3,303.

Out of the total cases, 61,149 are actives cases and 42,298 patients have been cured/discharged/migrated.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state with 37,136 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu (12,448 cases), Gujarat (12,140 cases), and Delhi (10,554 cases).

The nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus has been extended till May 31.

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News Network
January 18,2020

Jan 18: To mark the 30th anniversary of the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, members of the community took to social media to post videos of themselves by narrating the "Hum Aayenge Apne Watan" dialogue from an upcoming flick, 'Shikara', with the hope that they would return to their homeland one day.

On January 19, 1990, lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes in the Valley following a genocidal campaign launched by the terrorists.

Theatre actor Chandan Sadhu participated in the campaign and said that Kashmiri Pandits have shown "unimaginable resilience" and hope to return to the Valley soon.

"As Kashmiri Pandits complete 30 years in exile this weekend, let our cry for justice be finally noticed. We have shown unimaginable resilience, and today we resolve to return home. Kashmiri Pandit friends: please record this video statement and put it up with #HumWapasAayenge," Sadhu tweeted.

The #HumWapasAayenge is trending on Twitter as more and more Kashmiri Pandits joined in the campaign to narrate the "Hum Aayenge Apne Watan" dialogue and a pledge to return to their homes.

Noted political commentator Sunanda Vashisht tweeted a throwback image of herself and said that resolve to go back home has strengthened more.

"I don't have many pictures left of my childhood. Choosing between life and family albums is really no choice at all. When lives were rescued, family albums got left behind. 30 years have passed. Resolve to go back home has only strengthened. #HumWapasAayenge," she tweeted.

Radio personality Khushboo Mattoo tweeted a video repeating the dialogue from Shikara and tweeted, "Said this in a BBC interview three years back. And I am saying it again #HumWapasAayenge #Shikara."

Journalist Rahul Pandita also took to his Twitter and captioned his post saying, "30 years of exile from Kashmir. Let us now pledge that we will return home."

'Shikara' chronicles the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley on the night of January 19, 1990. Helmed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the movie is slated to release on February 7.

Netizens have supported the initiative and have expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri Pandits.

In July last year, Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha that the central government is committed to bringing Kashmiri Pandits and Sufis back to the Valley saying a time will come when they will offer prayers at the famous Kheer Bhawani temple.

"Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave Kashmir. Many of their shrines were demolished. Sufism was targeted in Jammu and Kashmir. Sufism used to talk about unity and harmony but they were attacked. No voice was raised in favour of Kashmiri Pandits and Sufis when they were brutally attacked. Sufis used to talk about the unity among Hindus and Muslims but they were forced to leave the Valley. Narendra Modi-led government is committed to bringing back Kashmiri Pandits, he had said.

The Mata Kheer Bhawani temple is one of the holiest shrines of Kashmiri Pandits, located about 14 kilometres east of Srinagar.

Last September, a delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit community met the Prime Minister in Houston and thanked him for the historic decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi acknowledged the hardships endured by the community following their exodus from their ancestral homeland back in 1989-1990 due to militancy.

"You have suffered a lot, but the world is changing. We have to move ahead together and build a new Kashmir," the Prime Minister had told the delegation.

"I had a special interaction with Kashmiri Pandits in Houston," Modi had tweeted following the interaction.

In October, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that the Centre has decided to provide compensation of Rs 5.5 lakh each to 5,300 displaced families from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), who initially opted to move outside Jammu and Kashmir but later on returned.

These families were earlier left out in the rehabilitation package that was approved by the Cabinet on November 30, 2016.

The Prime Minister had announced a reconstruction plan for Jammu and Kashmir in November 2016. His plan included a rehabilitation package for a one-time settlement of 36,384 displaced persons' (DPs) families of PoK-1947 and Chhamb.

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News Network
July 2,2020

Jul 2: Democratic presidential candidate and former US vice-president Joe Biden has said that if he wins the November elections, strengthening the relationship with India which is America’s "natural partner", will be a high priority for his administration.

"India needs to be a partner in the region for our safety's sake and quite frankly for theirs," he said in response to a question on India-US relationship during a virtual fundraiser event on Wednesday.

At the fundraiser hosted by Chairman and CEO of Beacon Capital Partners Alan Leventhal, the former vice president said that India and the United States were natural partners.

"That partnership, a strategic partnership, is necessary and important in our security," Biden said when asked by an attendee whether India is critical to the US' national security.

Referring to his eight years as the vice president, he said, "In our administration, I was proud to play a role more than a decade ago in securing Congressional approval for the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, which is a big deal".

"Helping open the door to great progress in our relationship and strengthening our strategic partnership with India was a high priority in the Obama-Biden administration and will be a high priority if I'm elected president,” Biden said.

Both as the vice president and a senator from Delaware, he was a big supporter of India-US relationship.

About the November polls, Biden said that the character of the country is on the ballot. The upcoming election is the most important poll of a lifetime and that the country is currently engaged in a battle for its soul, he claimed.

Biden also slammed President Donald Trump and his administration over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Trump ignored warnings from the very beginning, refused to prepare and failed to protect the country. Not just now but throughout his presidency, undermining the very core pillars of ours, what I would argue, moral and economic strength.

"I really do believe that our country is crying out for leadership and maybe even more important, some healing. Today, we have an enormous opportunity not only to rebuild but to build back better than before. To build a better future. That's what America does," he added.

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