Diabetic threat showing market increase in J&K

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 14: The rate of diabetic patients is on increase more in urban than in rural areas of the Jammu province.

Experts said that the main reason behind the rapid increase in diabetes is changing life style adding that children are more effect by this disease.

Experts further said that there are two types of diabetes the type one diabetes in common in children whereas type two seen in the adult above 30 age group but now it is observing below 30. Besides this some cases of diabetic has also seen during pregnancy.

That are certain steps which has been taken time to time to reduce the growth of diabetes in the state but still there is no results.

Every year on the World Diabetes Day various district and sub district hospitals organize camps and awareness programmes to examine and aware the people related to this disease.

Moreover the health department of the state government also conducting Non Communicable Disease (NCD) programmes in some of the districts of Jammu province.

Taking to TNI Medical Superintendent Government Hospital, Sarwal, Dr Arun Sharma said that World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes and its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases, some estimates suggest that as many as one out of every six person in Jammu might be diabetic.

Dr Sharma further said that in recent years diabetes has emerged as one of the biggest healthcare problems faced by India as a nation adding that increased urbanisation, a more westernised lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, general unawareness, increased cases of smoking and drinking and a sedentary lifestyle has made people of the city extremely vulnerable to diabetes.

It is pertinent to mention here that World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

World Diabetes Day was first conceived in 1991 to increase awareness about this metabolic disorder. An estimated 346 million people around the world suffer from diabetes and India has more patients than any other. Once exclusive to the urban areas, even rural India is being affected by the disease and there’s a shocking lack of awareness about it. An estimated 85% people in urban areas never get their blood levels checked. Ignorance is very dangerous because it can lead to various complications.

Nine dengue cases detected in Jammu

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 09: Nine cases of dengue has been detected by the health department of the state government in Jammu sending alarm bells ringing among the officials.

Talking to TNI Director Health, Jammu Dr Madhu Khullar said the dengue effected patients has been examine and after the required treatment they have discharged.

Dr Khullar maintained that the health department is keeping on open eye on any such case and taking initiatives to make the city dengue free.

“The department is constantly creating awareness among the masses by publishing important information to prevent dengue in the local dailies” she said.

The director said that the health department is doing intensive fogging in the more dengue prone areas of the city adding that we have deputed intensive teams at every entry point of the city included Lakhanpur, railway station, bus stand, airport to check every tourist.

It is pertinent to mention here that the climatic condition of Jammu is much suitable for all types of mosquitoes but for 'Ades Egypti', the mosquito carrying the Dengue virus, the most striking period is from August to mid November", said an expert, observing that since the state witnesses heavy influx of tourists, pilgrims, labourers and paramilitary personnel, the risk of the transmission of the virus cannot be ruled out.

This diseases also known as break bone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles.

In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.

A day of protests in Jammu, as Omar takes guard of honour

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 05: The first working day of the secretariat in the winter capital witnessed several protest demonstrations by different political and non- political organizations aimed to stage their anguish against the government.

The organization included Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), State Government Employees Joint Action Committee (SGEJAC), All J&K SRTC Volunteer Retirement Employees Association staged protest demonstration besides organized rallies in different part of the city.

BJP activists took out a car rally through main bazars of Jammu city to remind the state government of the problems being faced by the people and discrimination against Jammu region at all levels.

State President BJP Shamsher Singh Manhas said that the people of the state are suffering on account of inadequate supply of ration, shortage and black marketing of LPG and delay in holding the Urban Local Bodies elections despite repeated assurances by the state government.

He said that the people are already finding it difficult to survive in view of the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities and are now made to cry for their survival as the monthly ration released to a family through government depots is too less.

“The decision of the Congress-led UPA government to bring down the number of subsidized LPG cylinders to six and open black marketing of these cylinders are a matter of concern but there is no one in the union and state governments to think of an aam aadmi” Manhas added.

Whereas SGEJAC joined PDP organized a rally from Press Club towards secretariat but the police officials stopped them at Dogra Chowk.

Presenting their demands PDP Trade Union president Suresh Sharma said that the government should release of Sixth Pay Commission balance arrears with regularisation of daily wagers, adhoc, contractual , RETs , EVs, framing of regularisation policy for Anganwari and Asha workers, removal of pay anomalies of clerical cadres and others.

Similarly, All J&K SRTC Volunteer Retirement Employees Association president Dev Raj Bali said that the association organized a rally from Press Club to secretariat however the police official does not allowed them to move further and stop them near Gummat.

Bali further demanded that the government should releasing their due drawn bills including leave salary, gratuity ex-gratia grant of 35 - 40% and 126 slabs of Cost Of Living Allowances (COLA) for which the bills have been prepared with effect from June 1, 2006 and were sent to Civil Secretariat for government approval.

D&FCO raided 22 illegal run drug stores

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 04: In a significant act in enforcement of the court’s order issued to the government agencies the Drug and Food Control Organization (D&FCO) sealed 22 drug stores in Jammu division.

Talking to TNI Controller Drugs Jammu Satish Gupta disclosed that the department on the direction of court the department has launched a inspection to check on the drugs retail outlets and sealed 22 such stores which are not registered.

“The drugs stores located in Samba, Kathua and Jammu in which many of them have been run by the people serving in the government health institutions whereas no such case has been found in other areas of the Jammu division” he said.

Gupta maintained most of them are paramedical staff who run their chemist shop after their duty timing in the health institutions in remote areas of Jammu division.

He further said that the high court will have take action against the accused persons adding that the department is regular checking for any such illegal activities in future.

It is pertinent to mention here that the high court has issued an ordered to the government agencies of the state government included health department, Deputy Commission besides Senior Superintendent of Police of every district to keep on regular check on any such exercise which is being run by unfair means.

The trade member have been given strict instructions to desist from sale of medicines to such unauthorized shop failing which legal action will be initiated against such firm by the regulatory authority.

Students ride bikes, cars without licenses

Daily chaos prevalent outside schools

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Oct 19: Proving a threat to people and themselves school going students ride bikes and cars without driving license has become a common scene in the city.

It not only puts the life of people in danger but at times have led to tragic accidents leaving many families grieved. Whereas the traffic department observing these riders silently taking no action against them.

The fault is not only the students but also from their parents’ side who allowed them with bikes neglecting the norms created by traffic department.

These underage students not only violating the rules by riding motorcycles without license but also driving without a helmet, driving under the influence, and other documents jumping traffic signals, using mobile phones while driving.

Many times their rash driving resulted dangerous accidents besides these underage students do stunts on roads, risk their own and other people’s lives.

Balder Sharma a local said the authorities should take some acting against such erring riders.

“The traffic police needs to deal sternly with underage riders. Increased penalties, seizing vehicles of violators, traffic awareness workshops for school students are some of the ways by which this menace can be controlled” Sharma said.

He maintained that the parents should also need to understand how dangers it is to drive without proper documents.

In absence of required parking space, private vehicles continue to create traffic mess outside the Government Women College (GWC) and Presentation Convent School, Gandhi Nagar. Daily there is huge jam outside educational institutions during the morning and afternoon.

Traffic can be a nightmare during the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up, with drivers mounting pavements and narrowly missing themselves or their children as they travel along the Satwari-Bikram Chowk road.

When contacted Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Jammu Saleem Ahmed said that the traffic police continuously doing challans of any such underage student who ride bike without license.

“Expect this department is unable to control them to ride the bikes as this is also the responsibility of their parents not to purchase the vehicles for them” he added.

QRTs without equipment, projects fails to create mechanism

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Oct 12: While the road accidents continue to kill people across the state, the Quick Rescue Teams (QRTs) seems to be functioning on the papers and official files only.

Source said that yet these teams have not been provided with necessary equipment, required at the time of rescue operations, virtually making them handicapped. The fully equipped Quick Rescue Teams (QRTs), to be deployed with ambulances for immediate rescue operations in times of road accidents on highways in the state, has been stuck with the finance department from last some years.

Sources further said that though some teams were constituted under the chairmanship of deputy commissioners and deployed on accident prone areas along the highways in the mountainous Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, yet these teams have not been provided with necessary equipments, required at the time of rescue operations, virtually making them handicapped.”

On February 2009, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also suggested creation of a corpus to provide insurance cover to passengers travelling in commercial vehicles in the state so that in eventualities the families of the victims were paid relief from the corpus fund” he added.

“Which ambulances deployed the ambulances need longer ropes and other equipments to retrieve injured persons and vehicles from deep gorges and the mighty Chenab flowing through these districts but we were not provided the same. It creates several problems in rescue operations and we fail sometimes to save precious human lives”, said a officer.

When contacted Director Health Services, Jammu Dr Madhu Khullar said in QRT project no such equipment and team were required as the department has deputed some of the ambulances in service on the concern district hospitals and peripheral areas.

Dr Khullar further said that the person has to dial 102 to call for the ambulance service.

Malaria alarm: 654 cases detected in past nine months in J&K

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Oct 8: In past nine months Health Department has detected 654 malaria cases in the state which has sent alarm bells ringing among the officials.

Now the department has started a fresh campaign to identify the people mostly from outside the state who act as carriers of pathogen.

As per the figures in Jammu most of the cases are reported from Mendhar, Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Samba. In Kashmir region it is the urban centers from where most of the malaria cases are reported.

Talking to TNI, State Malariologist, Dr Kuldeep Kesar said that from January upto September this year department has registered 654 cases of malaria whereas 352 samples have been sent to laboratories for detection of Dengue fever. However no dengue positive case has been detected so far.

Dr Kesar further said that department has launched a awareness campaign to make people aware about the threat.

“If anybody found suffering from these diseases the department starts early treatment besides doing focal spray in the said areas where is spread” he added.

He maintained as per the previous year record the cases of malaria is going in parallel.

It is pertinent to mention here that some cases of Dengue has been found in Punjab area due to which the treat of this disease may occur in the state.

However department has actively launched the drive in collaboration with Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) supervised by Anti-Malaria Officer to prevent spread of water borne diseases in the area falling within the municipal limits.

Though the department has been claiming that its campaign has been able to curb the breeding grounds, but in most parts of the city, mosquito menace is still prevented.

They appealed the people, especially children and those allergic to smoke to remain in door during fogging and have urged the people to keep their surrounding clean so that mosquitoes don’t get places to breed.

Pertinently the under-construction sites, potholed roads and lanes, pits in and around the localities provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease causing germs, which when passed into the human body through mosquitoes are life threatening.