The hospital in Boulevard, Srinagar, named after a great son of India namely Govind Ballabh Pant is hardly worth the name given to it. Pant was a front line soldier in India’s struggle for freedom, a reputed Congress leader, Union Home Minister and once Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. In a hospital named after him, 352 children, mostly infants, died from January 1 to May 15, 2012, (total of 135 days). It means nearly two infants died in one day onwards of 1 January. During this week alone, more than 30 children have died according to a statement of the State Health and Medical Education Minister. In a shockingly belated action the Medical Superintendent has been attached and the Health Secretary has announced several improvements that will take years to come to fruition. Where were the concerned authorities so far? Why was this hospital left to be more a butchery than a hospital of a civilized society? How can Government escape its responsibility? People want action against the defaulters not lip service of streamlining the functionality. People demand delivery and it must come.
Mailbag
Parliament turns 60
Sir,
We have had a sustained democracy, except emergency prelude, in a country with numerous complexities whereas no other country in Asia except only a few in East, have been fortunate in this regard.However,the experiment has not been without traumatic travails. One cannot eulogize today the usual happenings inside the august Parliament house and the consequences that outflow from it.
The fight scenes, physical scuffles, hurling of chairs and microphones, high-pitched abuse or oration, continue speaking defying presiding officers, defections, manipulations in Parliament of public representatives by vested interests, cannot be a model for or a matter to be emulated by masses.
Lack of self discipline has resulted in governance deficit at all levels and apprehensions of failing state in face of rampant corruption,escalating crime, helplessness against terrorism, cynicism in dispensation of justice in courts or otherwise, are deeply impacting the minds of the people.
Quid pro quo to democracy, political dynasts have emerged mocking the concept and all those who sacrificed for it for years world over. All MPs from Congress below the age of 35 years elected to 2009 Lok Sabha are from political families and in many cases 4th generation is ruling both the center and states. Such thing is not happening in China . Representatives once gain power through vote and finances through arbitrary taxes,tend to act like medieval manors.They have enhanced their prowess and perks manifold. Nothing can happen without their consent. MPLAD and CDF has gone up five times incremented eroding level playing field to new competitors. Subjugation by political class is suffocating and is anarchic in this century of knowledge, human liberties and equity.
The feel good in economic sector on large fiscal receipts from private and service sectors has started evaporating.Creation of China like infrastructure even in vital sectors has not materialized, the public money is spent on populous schemes for vote bank. In last two years borrowing has peaked to 37 percent more from foreign institutions.Taxes escalating and being forced on public without their consent for frivolous state spending. Inflation especially in food items is highest and value of rupee has run down the drain.
Socially, today society is more fractured. Rich and politically powerful classes both from reserved or otherwise matter; others are disadvantaged, disillusioned and frustrated.This ominous is happenig in a country where there is bounty of natural, climatic and human resources and world class talent and enquiry is on, on Parliament turns 60, to find out Neros of country.
Yours etc…
B R Upadhyaya
Ward No 6
Billawar
Use of drugs
Sir,
Drug costs are sky rocketing and it is hoped that accountability will be introduced at all stages: manufacturing, sales, distribution, purchase, prescription, dispensing and post-marketing analysis. Strengthening, security, back up facilities and empowerment of enforcement authorities would ensure the fulfilment of the objective to streamline availability of highly efficacious, yet lower cost drugs. In many cases, patients are badly suffering, since drug costs of same salt varies many folds across various brands. It is my fervent appeal to common people to have a serious look over rapid growth of pharmaceutical trade in our state. A serious imbalance is apparent between prosperity and accountability. The prosperity must not come at the cost of human life; it would have otherwise serious repercussions, (we are virtually endangering our health and drug addiction has reached to alarmed levels). Easy availability of drugs is a single contributing factor to drug addiction and due to the lucrative nature of drug peddling, locals hoard these medicines and sell them at higher prices to the addicts. It may be a fact that a few unemployed youth get livelihood in pharmaceutical trade at various levels, and may get initially affected by proposed drug policy. Yet, the overall harm done by marketing of costly drugs usually over-weigh benefits. Licenses should be only granted to qualified candidates and exclusively to diploma holders (pharmacy), since as per media reports, there is already mushrooming of premises (both retail chemists as well as wholesale pharmaceutical dealers) and irony is that, as of now, majority of drug license holders are matriculates Rashid, Doda.
Yours etc…
Rashid
by e-mail
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