| 2 dead, 60 detected positive; young girl's death sparks protest | | Dengue grips Samba | | Angry mob ransacks Distt Hospital, manhandles CMO
Early Times Report
Samba, Sept 30: As deadly Dengue claimed second live in Samba, the local populace lost its calm and turned irate ransacking the Samba District Hospital and office of Chief Medical Officer (CMO), besides thrashing the CMO and other staff members. Police has registered case against the people who indulged in violence.
According to reports, after performing the last rites of 24-yr old girl Pooja Sambyal, who died of Dengue, a large number of people from Mandi Thalora gathered outside the District Hospital and held demonstration against the Health Department. They alleged that due to negligence and carelessness of the Health Department, the young girl lost her life.
The deceased girl, daughter of Rameshwar Singh resident of Mandi Thalora, was suffering from Dengue fever and admitted to District Hospital on September 21, where doctors failed to give her adequate treatment, after which she was taken to a hospital in Pathankote on September 25. She was further taken to another hospital in Ludhiana on September 28, where she lost battle for life. An eye-witness told that protesting people had heated exchange with the hospital staff after which the mob gone berserk and targeted the hospital property. They smashed the glasses, window-panes and turned the tables around besides throwing benches, he added.
Thereafter, the mob turned towards the adjoining office of the CMO and held arguments with CMO Kartar Chand who tried to pacify the angry mob but of no avail as he was also thrashed by the irate group of people. In attempt to save the CMO, a lady official namely Nishu slapped one of the senior citizens Prahlad Singh, which led to further aggravation.
In the meantime, Police prevailed upon the protesters and shifted the CMO to Government Medical College, Jammu.
The agitated people then demanded suspension of lady official Nishu with immediate effect on account of assaulting a prominent senior citizen of the area. Sarpanch of Mandi Phalora, Varinder Singh was leading the group of protesting people.
Singh alleged that Samba District Hospital was lacking healthcare facility and due to it the young girl lost her life. "The Government makes tall claims of improving healthcare infrastructure but here, in Samba, nothing seems visible. Everything is in doldrums as more than sixty cases of Dengue have been reported in the district but the Health Department is yet to make any plan to deal with the epidemic like situation," he further alleged.
He further said that behavior of lady official of CMO Office was unwarrantable and she must be suspended. Later, to pacify the people District Commissioner R K Verma visited the hospital premises and assured them of necessary actions to streamline the healthcare system. He also ordered attachment of lady official with BMO Nud and inquiry into the whole episode.
Earlier, a baby girl namely Mehak of village Kartholi in Samba reportedly died of Dengue at SMGS Hospital. Meanwhile, official report said till date there were 71 cases of dengue across the Jammu region, out of which 60 alone were from Samba.
Officials further maintain that owing to changes in weather, there is a greater probability of increase in malaria patients in the Jammu region. They add that there were certain vulnerable pockets such as Gandhi Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Talab Tillo, Qasim Nagar and Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu city. These localities are being constantly monitored to detect places which are potential breeding grounds of mosquitoes. |
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