Rats eat through Rs 6.5-crore machine in hospital

Mumbai:  The digital subtraction angiography (DSA) catheterisation laboratory machine, commonly called the cath lab machine, is a sophisticated piece of equipment worth Rs 6.5 crore. It can perform angioplasty and angiography procedures, and is a specimen of how much medical science has advanced.

At Jagjivan Ram hospital in Mumbai Central, this high-tech scientific innovation -- reportedly the first such machine in the western region and the second in the country -- has been allowed to become rat food.

Lying at the facility since July 2011, the machine, which hasn't been used even once, has fallen prey to rodents that have nibbled its wiring, hospital sources said. Staffers have completed the fitting of the machine, but civil work required to set it up is still pending. According to reliable sources, a few internal modifications are yet to be done, after which it could be easily installed.

But the disuse has the machine caked with dust. It was recently that the staffers noticed that the wires had been snacked on. "The civil work started in January 2011, and according to the tender, was to be completed by April, but is still going on. It is deplorable. We recently saw that wires of the machine have been nibbled off. We have asked the manufacturing company to replace them immediately to save the machine from further damage," said a hospital official, requesting anonymity. 

Patients suffer
The hospital doctors have been using a mini cath lab equipment to perform angiography procedures for organs other than heart. For heart angiographies, thousands of railway employees have been put on a waiting list for treatment at private hospitals.

"For performing heart angiography procedures, we refer patients to private hospitals affiliated to the railway board. Once this machine is installed, all these procedures can be easily done here. The railway board sanctioned the DSA cath lab in 2006, and we received the machine in July 2011. Had the civil work been done on time, the railways would not have had to spend lakhs treating their employees at private hospitals," said a doctor, requesting anonymity.

The hospital performs over 250-300 procedures using the mini cath lab machine. Once the machine is installed, the number will be doubled. Over 3 lakh employees of Western and Central Railway and their dependents will be benefited by this facility. "The entire load of heart angiographies goes to private hospitals and the employees have to wait for more days to get the angiography performed," said a railway employee.

The other side
Sharat Chandrayan, chief PRO, Western Railway, said, "The project is going on and will be completed soon. The machine is completely fine. It is nothing like what you are saying." Dr Gita Chaturvedi, medical director, Jagjivan Ram hospital, did not respond to MiD DAY's calls and messages.

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Mamata's nephew sent to judicial custody for slapping cop; 'small incident' says her party

Kolkata:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Akash has been sent to one-day judicial custody for slapping a traffic cop yesterday. They will be again produced in court tomorrow.

Mamata Banerjee's party, however, continues to suggest that the fact that her nephew slapped a traffic policeman is not a big deal. "There has been a small incident," said Firhad Hakim, a minister in Ms Banerjee's government in Bengal. "Why only Kolkata? Across India, those who drive vehicles often have angry exchanges with traffic police and even get into scuffles," he added.
Mr Banerjee was arrested yesterday after he slapped a traffic cop who stopped his car for driving on the wrong side of the road. Eyewitnesses said that after Mr Banerjee slapped the cop, he shouted, "Don't you know who I am?" He was allowed to leave soon after, but was arrested after local media began reporting on the incident.
Mr Banerjee was brought to a Kolkata court this morning. The chief minister's party says that proves that his relationship to Ms Banerjee has not offered him undue protection.

Only Mamata Banerjee, our chief minister, is implementing 'raj dharma'. Despite him (Akash)  being her relative, the minute she heard about the incident, she said the law must take its own course," said Mr Hakim today.

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Senior citizen dies after being pushed by Delhi policemen; cop suspended

New Delhi:  A 66-year-old man collapsed and died of a heart attack at the Dhaula Kuan police station on Tuesday night after he was allegedly pushed and kicked by two police constables. The incident occurred following an argument between the cops and the man's son.

The police have registered a case and one of the policeman involved in the act has been suspended.

The deceased, Anil Kumar, was travelling in a car with his son Mohit Arora (32), both residents of Geeta Colony in east Delhi, when the incident took place late last night. Mr Arora was allegedly thrashed by the policemen after he asked one of the cops to get off the phone and help his family as their car had broken down.

"We were returning from a family function in two cars when one of the cars broke down. I walked up to a traffic constable and asked him for some water. The constable was on the phone and did not respond.  Just as I started walking away to a police station nearby, he caught me from behind and accused me of abusing him. I gently said that I had not abused him at all, just needed help. But he wouldn't listen and kept dragging me by the collar towards the station. Inside the police station the rough treatment continued. At this point my father came in and when he sought to stop the cops from roughing me up, they pushed him. I saw my dad fall to the ground.

"No one helped me as I struggled to pick up my father and seat him on a chair. I rubbed his hands and feet desperately, none of the cops offered to help. Some did only when I requested them. My mother had come in by then...she touched his forehead and said it was cold...," said the son.

Police sources maintain the man died of a heart attack. The Delhi Police Commissioner has ordered an inquiry and a post-mortem report is awaited.

Mr Arora's daughter Kamana is inconsolable. "I want my father back but I know this can't happen. I just wish we get his body back on time. Me and my family are having to wait for my father's body. We want to perform his last rites on time so his soul may rest in peace," she said.

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ONGC auction gets bids for 1.43 cr shares

The auction for sale of the government's 5 per cent stake in ONGC gained momentum by early afternoon, as bids came in for about 1.43 crore shares.

The bids have been mostly in the price range of Rs 291-293 per share for the auction, under which the government has proposed to sell about 42.77 crore shares. The auction commenced at 0915 hours and would close at 1530 hours today.

The government has fixed a floor price of Rs 290 per share for the share sale through this one-day auction, wherein it is targeting to raise about Rs 12,000-13,000 crore.

At 1245 hours, bids had come in for a total of 47.7 lakh shares.

The early morning bids had come in the price range of Rs 292-294 a piece, but the price fell to Rs 291-292 by late morning.

In the first hour of auction, bids had come in for about 37,500 shares, while it rose to about 1.7 lakh by the end of second hour of the bidding.

The bidding picked up momentum by the mid-day and bids for more than 10 lakh shares had come in at 1200 hours.

Investment bankers said that the bidding was expected to gain further ground in the last 2-3 hours.

After an initial spike of about one per cent, ONGC share prices had turned weak and was trading 0.6 per cent down at Rs 291.50 at 1250 hours. The stock price has remained above the floor price of Rs 290 and had touched a high of Rs 296.50 within minutes of market opening this morning.

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Traffic rule breakers, beware. Tougher fines and jail term

New Delhi:  Those who like to talk on their cellphones while driving need to revise their habit. 
The union cabinet has approved an array of amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. These will amp up the punishment for not using seatbelts, jumping red lights, and driving drunk. The new rules will apply across the country if parliament approves of them.
Anyone caught talking on their cellphone while driving will be charged Rs 500 the first time; repeat performances will lead to fines up to Rs 5000.
Drunk drivers will be penalized according to the amount of alcohol found in their blood. Fines will start with Rs 2000 and/or six months in prison; higher alcohol amounts will double that punishment. If the driver is caught drunk again within three years of his or her first offence, fines up to Rs 10,000 and a jail term of four years could apply.
Those found to be driving dangerously - for example, motoring on the wrong side of the road- will face a fine of Rs 1000 and/or up to six months in jail. Repeat offences will see the fine increasingly substantially.
Those caught jumping red lights, not wearing seatbelts or helmets will pay Rs 500 the first time; the current fine for these violations is Rs 100. Repeat offences will come with fines up to Rs 1500 (up from Rs 300 that drivers pay now for recurring violations)
Those caught speeding will pay Rs 1000 instead of Rs 400. Subsequent offences will cost them upto Rs 5000, five times what repeat offenders pay today.

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Porn-and-politics inquiry a half-hearted attempt?

Bangalore:  After three ministers were caught watching porn on a cellphone in the Karnataka Assembly, a committee was set up of seven MLAs to investigate the incident. The ministers - Lakshman S Savadi, CC Patil and J Krishna Palemar had to resign - were forced to resign by their party, the BJP.  The seven MLAs who are meant to interrogate them seem to lack real interest in their assignment.
The committee has seven MLAs - four from the BJP. The other three members, all from Opposition parties, are boycotting the investigation because they believe the ex-ministers should also be made to quit as MLAs. So far, the trio has been asked not to attend the Assembly till the inquiry against them is completed. The report is expected to be delivered to the Speaker on March 13.
The ex-ministers were caught by a private TV channel named Suvarna News. So far, Karnataka allowed TV channels to cover assembly proceedings, a rule it has changed after the scandal erupted. The editor of Suvarna was questioned by the inquiry committee yesterday. "Only the BJP MLAS (on the committee) asked me questions," Hameed Pallya of Suvarna told NDTV.
That means that the inquiry against the BJP trio is being handled exclusively by other BJP MLAs.

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