16122025-LT-01.qxd 12/16/2025 12:49 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune ADMN INTENSIFIES EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE IMMUNITY GAPS GOVT WANTS PARENTS MORE INVOLVED IN KIDS’ ACTIVITIES BAKERS SHINE AT CAKE PICNIC IN CHANDIGARH PRESS CLUB Targeted outreach aimed at vulnerable, underserved populations, ensuring maximum coverage. P2 Initiative aimed at establishing better rapport with parents, enhancing psychological support for wards. P3 Over 200 home bakers and professional pastry artists display 100 exquisite cakes at Chandigarh Press Club. P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 21°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 20°C | MIN 6°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.25 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:12 AM TUESDAY | 16 DECEMBER 2025 | LUDHIANA Medicine, eye, skindepartments at Civil Hospital without specialists Patients depend on docs working on deputation in makeshift arrangements Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 15 Patients across the district are facing severe hardships as the Civil Hospital, the largest government-run health facility, struggles without key specialists. Sanctioned posts of medicine, skin and eye specialists remain vacant or partially filled, leaving thousands of patients dependent on doctors working on deputation in makeshift arrangements. The crisis has persisted not only for months but for years with no permanent appointments made to fill critical gaps. The situation is grim not only at the Civil Hospital but also in the entire district. Ludhiana’s population is nearing 3.9 million and for the entire district there are only four medicine specialists and these are posted at Khanna, Maachiwara, Jagraon and Ludhiana. Of the total 22 sanctioned posts of medicine specialists, 18 are lying vacant in the district. Civil Hospital serves as the backbone of public healthcare in the district and the shortage of special- The Civil Hospital serves as the backbone of public healthcare in the district. INDERJEET VERMA SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS Of the three sanctioned posts for medicine specialists at the Civil Hospital, two have remained vacant for over a year. The lone filled position is itself a comedy of errors, as the doctor has been deputed to Faridkot and visits Ludhiana only on Saturdays. On the remaining days of the week, doctors on deputation come here to attend the medicine OPD. ists is only giving a tough time to the patients and the doctors on deputation. Of the three sanctioned posts for medicine specialists at the hospital, two have remained vacant for over a year. The lone filled position is itself a comedy of errors, as the doctor has been deputed to Faridkot and visits Ludhiana only on Saturdays. On the remaining days of the week, doctors on deputation come here to attend the medicine OPD. It has been nearly oneand-a-half years since the hospital’s lone medicine specialist, Dr Amanpreet Kaur, was promoted as the District Health and Family Welfare Officer and since her promotion, the post has remained vacant, leaving a critical gap in specialist care at the hospital. Another department that is without a permanent doctor is skin. Earlier, Dr Rohit Rampal was single-handed- ly looking after the department but after he was promoted as Senior Medical Officer of the Mother and Child Hospital, the post is lying vacant and now doctors are coming from Raikot, Jagraon and Civil Surgeon’s Office for two days each to fill in the gaps. The eye department too is running without a specialist. At present, one doctor is coming from the CS Office and another from Samrala for three days each to compensate the absence of an eye specialist. The shortage has raised concerns among patients and health activists, who point out that the absence of permanent medicine specialists at the Civil Hospital undermines the quality of healthcare in the district. The lack of specialists is seen as a pressing issue that requires immediate government attention. Dr Akhil Sareen, Senior Medical Officer at the Civil Hospital, said the department was conducting walk-in interviews to recruit specialists. We are also hopeful that a few of the fresh graduates will be posted here. Stray dog menace grips city, shelter still under construction Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 15 Sunday’s stray dog attack on a nine-year-old boy and several others before being finally caught by the Municipal Corporation at Gandhi Nagar here has underscored the urgent need for a dedicated shelter for stray dogs. While these animals continue to roam freely, it will take a while for the proposed stray sanctuary project to take shape. This year, a few children had also lost their lives after being attacked by stray dogs. Last year, 13,488 cases of dog bite were reported from Ludhiana while this year, till August, 9,375 cases have been reported. Residents said despite repeated assurances and sterilisation claims by the civic authorities, they were staying under constant fear while the much-hyped dog sanctuary was still under construction. The stone of the two-acre dog sanctuary at Haibowal Dairy Complex was laid hurriedly in May with officials announcing that the construction would begin soon. Envisioned as a permanent shelter for 2,500 stray, sick and injured dogs, the facility was also intended to provide spaying and neutering services for population control. Yet after six months, the project has not been completed and the construction is still underway. Sunita Sharma, a resident of Haibowal said: “Ironically, the sanctuary was announced in our area but it is still incomplete. The number of stray dogs continues to increase in the area and residents feel helpless. The authorities must act before more lives are lost due to the menace.” Mayor Inderjeet Kaur said the project would be completed in 3-4 months. Necessary infrastructure and kennels would also be built. The work was under progress and would be completed soon. “Sunday’s incident was horrifying as the dog has brutally injured the face of the boy. Now, he have to get plastic surgery done. It was not the single case, the same dog has bitten many others who tried to catch it,” said Randhir, a resident. Residents of Vikas Nagar are also complaining about a similar dog in the area. “A similar rabid dog has created panic in the Vikas Nagar area also. It has bitten a few people. It needs to be rescued,” said Arvind Sharma. Gurpreet Kaur, a resident of Model Town said: “Every evening we are scared to let our children play outside. Stray dogs roam in packs and chase people commuting on scooters. The sanctuary must be completed quickly, otherwise the situation will only worsen.” The work on a facility for dogs in progress at Haibowal Dairy Complex in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA 5 illegal under-construction shops Four nabbed with sealed in Model Town Extension drugs, illicit liquor On guard Tribune News Service Our Correspondents Cops keep vigil outside a strongroom to ensure security of ballot boxes, at a school in Ludhiana. Counting of votes for the zila parishad and block samiti poll will be held on Dec 17. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, December 15 Continuing action against illegal constructions, the Municipal Corporation (MC) sealed five under-construction illegal shops in Model Town Extension and an illegal building near the Saggu Chowk area on Monday. The action was taken on the directions of MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal. Assistant Town Planner (ATP), Zone-D, Harvinder Singh, stated that civic body officials came to know about the illegal constructions during a routine inspection. The owners continued the illegal constructions even An MC official seals a building near Saggu Chowk. after warning, following which the illegal shops and the building were sealed by a civic body team. Meanwhile, the civic body officials appealed to residents to start construction works only after getting the building plan approved from the civic body, otherwise strict action would be taken against unauthorised constructions. Ludhiana, December 15 Four persons were arrested in three cases for allegedly carrying drugs and illicit liquor. Substantial quantities of contrabands, including ganja, poppy husk and illicit liquor, were seized from their possession. Perusal of records revealed that police personnel, led by Kamaldeep Singh from the Division Number 2 police station, had nabbed Ram Parvej of Ranjit Nagar, here, when he was waiting for his customers at a park near Cheema Chowk on Sunday and seized 50 gm of ganja Easy availability of drugs coming in way of shunning addiction Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 15 In daily information sent by the Police Department, drug peddlers and users are claimed to be arrested with heroin in routine, still, the ‘drug-free’ Punjab remains a distant dream as a few inmates lodged at de-addiction centres claim that the ‘powder’ was easily available all over. Young addicts claim that one needs to have money, and 'genuine recommendation' to get 'chitta' easily The youth between the age of 25 and 35 years getting treatment at the centres here maintain that shooting pain in the head, shivering in the body, numbness in hands and feet, disorientation and Inmates at a drug-deaddiction centre in Ludhiana. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN discomfort were signs when one tries to leave “chitta”. Though medications, regular exercise and counselling solve the problem to an extent but when they get out of the centres, easy availability of “chitta” lures them and they end up returning there. The addicts claimed that one needs to have money as one gram to one kg ‘chitta’ is readily available. Another condition is that you should have a “genuine recommendation” to get the drug powder easily. About 12 youths are struggling hard to get out of the addiction but the easy availability is not letting them to do so. A young Jat Sikh boy, the only son in the family with two sisters, having plen- c m y b ty of land, has already spent about Rs 5-6 crores in the past eight years on ‘chitta’. The lone tablet Buprenorphine — an antidote to chitta — is not being made available easily as if addicts start taking it regularly, the urge to get ‘chitta’ will come down drastically, say treating doctors. A visit to a de-addiction centre near Doraha reveals a grim picture of youth struggling hard to get out of the clutches of ‘chitta’. Telling his tale of woes, a 27-year-old youth said he had taken admission to a college in Ludhiana and was a union leader. “Here I met a girl who became a good friend and she offered me the ‘powder’ for the first time and it was a different experience. After that, there was no control and I spend around Rs 4,000Rs 5,000 each day to get the drug,” he said. On being asked how he would manage to get the money on a daily basis, the youth replied that he belongs to a family of landlords where money has never been an issue. “But now I want to get out of it. I stayed at the centre here for many days but when I again went out for two days, I took the drug again and then I got a severe headache, negative thoughts, and the body was craving to get the same. I want to get out of it but I am not able to do so and again returned here,” said the youth in a helpless manner. Another 31-year-old boy Ramandeep Singh (name changed) said he moved to Australia about a decade ago and had an established business of driving commercial vehicles there. “About three years ago during a get-together, someone offered me chitta. For three-four days, the friend provided it free of cost but then on the fifth day, he said I had to pay for it. Since then, I was not able to leave the drug. I decided to return to India, thinking I will be busy with the old parents but here, the easy availability of the same added fuel to the fire and I landed myself at the centre. All that I saved in Australia was spent on the drug,” said Singh, adding that it was available on Tajpur Road, in Shimlapuri and Salem Tabri right under the nose of the authorities. One of the psychologistcum-counsellor at the centre said there was a tablet available, which was an antidote to the drug. “But we do not get it easily and we get it only after registering the name of patients, their Aadhaar cards, etc. The tablet reduces the urge to have the drug. In case it gets popularised such as in Switzerland and Portugal, the urge to have drugs will come down and so will sales. Sadly, chitta is more easily available than the antidote,” he said. from his possession. The PAU police station cops, led by Satnam Singh, had arrested Jatinder Singh Kala of Baranhara Talwara, here, when he was going to deliver a consignment of 12 kg of poppy husk along the boundary wall of the university campus on Sunday. In another case registered under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act on Sunday, officials at the Jamalpur police station, led by Gurmit Singh, nabbed Nand Kishore and Tikhari Yadav of Gobindnagar Ludhiana on a tip-off. As many as 10 bottles of illicit liquor were recovered from their possession. Youth booked under POCSO Act Ludhiana, December 15 The Haibowal police have booked a youth of Ramgarh village in the Philaur segment for allegedly physically abusing a minor boy after lured him to buy kites on Saturday. The suspect has been identified as Arashdeep Singh, alias Arash, of Ramgarh village, at present staying in Haider Enclave, Laddian Kalan, here. Investigating officer Karamjit Singh said the suspect was booked under Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Sunday on the statement of a resident of Haider Enclave. The complainant informed the police that his eight-yearold son had been exploited physically by the suspect after he lured him to his room on the pretext of getting kites. The youth was yet to be arrested. — OC