Category: Health

Health

Kashmir peppered, gas shocked

Editor

Deadly ‘non-lethal’ weapon life risk for civilians, cops Harvey Allen in Toward the Flame: A Memoir of World War-I writes, “It was remarked as a joke that if someone yelled ‘Gas’, everyone in France would put on a mask. … Gas shock was as frequent as shell shock.” Not much has changed for the people of Kashmir who are as shell shocked today due to the excessive use of pepper gas by police and paramilitary forces. The rampant use of the “non-lethal” pepper gas is becoming deadly for people in…

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Parking chaos, concertina wires welcome visitors to hospital

Editor

Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital, one of the biggest maternity hospitals in the state, presents a picture of neglect and total mess. Problems being faced by patients inside the hospital have been highlighted several times, but outside the premises, a man-made mess created by lack of parking space is a major cause of frustration to people. Despite expansion of the hospital building, not much has been done to create a parking lot. Instead of resolving the issue, the hospital management has put up concertina wires near the entrance to…

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Pellet victims avoid treatment in Kashmir ‘to evade arrests’

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A number of youth hit by pellets during street protests in Kashmir avoid getting treated in Valley hospitals to evade arrests and persecution by police, medicos said on Saturday. Doctors at SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and SMHS hospital here, who insisted not to be identified, said they treat “only a few victims of pellet guns because most of the victims go for treatment elsewhere, mostly outside the Valley, to evade arrests by police and the subsequent persecution.” Informed sources told that three youth with pellet injured were ‘seen’…

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Poor patients suffer as govt docs run private hospitals, clinics

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Business of medicine responsible for health care mess, rising corruption: DAK  Voicing concern over government doctors running private hospitals, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that it is the main reason for dismal record of health care standards in government-run hospitals. Dismayed over allowing of full time government doctors to run private establishments, President DAK Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan in a statement issued here said that poor patients suffer the consequences.  “Public hospitals are the only places where poor can still seek health care at no or minimal cost,” DAK President said.…

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Food wrapped in newspapers harmful, DFCO warns

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Waking up from deep slumber, the Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) on Thursday warned people against taking food wrapped in newspapers, saying it could be hazardous for their health. This is apparently for the first time that the Organization—mandated with enforcing food safety regulations—has come out with such an appeal amid reports that it is ignoring food safety norms in broad daylight. On Thursday, an advisory issued by the DFCO warned of strict action under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 against people found selling food items in newspapers.…

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200 docs ‘forced’ to appear in interviews in Jmu

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Selection of Lecturers in SKIMS Bemina Decision of holding interviews in Jammu made by CS: Dr Zargar Nearly 200 doctors from Kashmir are forced to leave their emergencies duties for appearing in interview scheduled in Jammu for the post of lecturers in SKIMS Medical College. Official sources told that venue for the interview was shifted to Jammu for the convenience of the interview panel led by Chief Secretary who is stationed in Jammu after Darbar move. “This is unacceptable and unethical because the posts are meant for a SKIMS Medical…

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Maggi samples from Valley contain lead

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Food Safety authorities awaiting govt nod to prosecute Nestle India The authorities in Kashmir are awaiting nod to prosecute Maggi manufacturer even as the instant noodles has made a comeback to the market this Diwali. Maggi samples lifted from Srinagar in June have been found contaminated with lead and subsequently declared unsafe, said the authorities concerned. Five months after it was banned for allegedly containing lead beyond the permissible limit, Maggi noodles made a comeback in the select markets. Manufacturer Nestle India, which owns the Maggi brand, has prepared a…

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Central heating system in hospitals yet to start

Editor

With a dip in the temperature, the doctors in Kashmir have urged the authorities concerned to start central heating systems in the government-run hospitals. In a statement here today, the Doctors Association Kashmir alleged that the central heating system in most of the premier hospitals of the Valley had not been started yet and patients were suffering due to cold weather. “With the mercury dipping in the Valley, patients are facing huge inconvenience due to lack of heating provisions in the hospitals,” the association said. Emphasising the ill effects of…

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GoI issues 7000 H1N1 testing kits to States, Kashmir gets none

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With H1N1 Influenza raging across India, Union Ministry of Health has issued 7000 testing kits to states with Kashmir getting none. According to a press release by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the government plans to distribute 15000 more such kits. However, JK health officials say they haven’t received any assistance in form of testing kits from MoHFW. Currently, two hospitals in Kashmir are equipped to test for H1N1 Influenza. However, the hospital administrations said that the infrastructure as well as testing kits have been procured by the hospitals…

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State obtains land for three medical colleges

Editor

In the first major step towards setting up five medical colleges in the state, the J&K Government has acquired land for three, while negotiations are on for acquiring land for two more. Government sources said the land for the medical colleges had been acquired by the Medical Education Department at Baramulla and Anantnag in the Kashmir region and Rajouri in the Jammu region. The land for the two proposed medical colleges in Kathua and Doda districts has yet not been acquired. The Centre had sanctioned five medical colleges in J&K…

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