15092024-LT-01.qxd 15-09-2024 00:16 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune NATIONAL LOK ADALAT PASSES AWARDS OF ~115 CRORE ENGINEERS TURNED ACTORS WHO MADE IT BIG IN BOLLYWOOD SOHUM SHAH RECALLS HIS ‘UNIQUE’ MUMBAI JOURNEY A total of 58,984 cases were disposed of by 35 Benches set up in local courts during Lok Adalat. P2 The Hindi film industry has scores of engineers who are now successful actors and directors. P4 Actor-producer Sohum Shah says he is content being the masala tea loving small towner making films he likes.P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET SUNDAY 6.35 PM » SUNRISE MONDAY 6:04 AM SUNDAY | 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 | LUDHIANA Ludhiana’s lone ESIC hospital in for major upgrade at ~10.58 cr First-ever revamp of 55-yr-old ailing health facility catering to 4.3L workers Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 7 In a major reprieve to the 12lakh odd industrial workers, the lone exclusive health facility — ESI Corporation (ESIC) model hospital is in for major advancement and revamp. This is the first-ever upgrade and overhaul of the ailing health facility for the employees, especially the industrial workers, most of whom are from the lower section of the society, since its inception in 1969, at the cost of Rs 10.58 crore. The hospital was spread over 10.3 acres and was at present catering to 4.3 lakh insured workers. While the ICU ward has already been upgraded and the medical gas pipeline also extended across the entire hospital wards, other components of the upgrade project are also in the advanced stage. The Centre had approved the project while acceding to the request of Rajya Sabha MP , Sanjeev Arora, in February. Besides, the proposal to add 200 more beds and develop the ESIC hospital as the state-of-the-art facility with 500-bed capacity Two thieves held, 11 bikes seized Ludhiana, September 14 The Sadar Jagraon police claimed to have busted a gang of vehicle thieves and arrested two of its members. The police recovered 11 motorcycles from their possession. The suspects have been identified as Gurdit Singh, alias Gora, and Jaskarandeep Singh, alias Jassu, both residents of Mandi Mullanpur. Balwinder Singh, ASI, CIA, Jagraon, said he, along with the police team, was patrolling at Sidhwan Kalan village when they received a tip-off that the duo were running a gang of vehicle thieves and committed several thefts in the area. As per information, the suspect had been going towards Sidhwan Kalan after stealing a motorcycle from Mullanpur. The ASI said the police laid a naka at a point in Sidhwan Kalan where the motorcycleborne suspects were stopped for checking. Following which, they were held. A stolen motorcycle was recovered from them. Later during preliminary questioning, 10 more motorcycles were recovered from them, which they had stolen from the area in the recent past. — TNS The work on the upgrade of the ESIC Hospital in progress in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN PROJECT REPORT COMPONENT ■ ICU upgrade ■ Medical gas pipeline extension ■ Firefighting work ■ 320 TR central AC plant ■ Total AMOUNT 73.03 49.73 467.76 467.76 1,058.28 STATUS Complete Complete 83% done Under approval (SOURCE: ESIC, AMOUNT IN RUPEES LAKH) was also under active consideration of the Centre. It is also considering the plan to establish six new ESIC hospitals in the state, including another one in Ludhiana district, besides other demands of the state pertaining to the welfare of labour and employees. The 262-bed capacity was not only lacking beds but also other facilities to provide treatment and medical facilities to workers employed in various establishments covered under the ESI Corporation, which runs the lone hospital in the state’s industrial capital, since its inception in 1969. According to the hospital authorities, the work on upgrade of the ICU at the cost of Rs 73.03 lakh and extension of medical gas pipeline at the cost of Rs 49.73 lakh has already been completed following which both projects have been put to use. While 83 per cent work on firefighting system with wet riser and sprinkler system and automatic fire alarm system being undertaken at the cost of Rs 4.68 crore has been completed with a deadline to complete it by December 31, the revised detailed estimate has been submitted for formal approval to provide 320 TR energy four efficient central air conditioning plants, each of 80 TR, at the cost of Rs 4.68 crore. The MP has urged the hospital management to further expedite the ongoing renovation work in the hospital in the larger interests of the patients. On Arora’s demand to increase the bed occupancy rate (BOR) as the ICU and other facilities have been upgraded, the hospital authorities apprised him that the hospital’s BOR has already increased from 59 to 64 per cent in the recent past. Panel reviews steps to curb drug menace Ludhiana, September 14 A district-level committee under the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) met here today to review steps being taken to curb the drug menace in the district. During the meeting, the district administration asked principals of schools and colleges to prepare a fortnightly calendar of activities aimed at creating awareness about harmful effects of drugs with the goal of making Punjab a drug-free state. It was suggested to organise plays, dramas, skits or other activities to make young people aware of hazards of drugs. Schools, col- leges and nodal officers will be recognised and awarded on October 2 for effectively spreading awareness. The authorities also asked them to share daily pictures and videos of their activities. They were also urged to involve health and police officials in the activities to provide information on treatment options (OOAT centres), rehabilitation centres and lawenforcement action against drug abuse. The objective was to turn the anti-drug campaign into a mass awareness programme. ADC Amit Sarin directed the principals to arrange visits for 50 students from government schools to the office of the DBEE as well as enrolling them in the I-Aspire and future tycoon programmes, being run by the administration. He also instructed the health authorities to ensure that prohibited drugs were not sold by any chemist, and tobacco products should not be sold within 100 m of educational institutions. The participants were also told that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had recently launched an anti-drug helpline and WhatsApp chatbot (9779100200), where anyone can report activities of drug peddlers. — TNS Youth drowns in Sutlej while immersing idol Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 The body of a youth, who drowned in the Sutlej late on Friday evening while immersing an idol of Lord Ganesha, was recovered from the river today. Several other youths also had a miraculous escape as they had also drowned in the riv- er but came out safely. The deceased was identified as Harsh Mehra, a resident of Kila Mohalla. He was working at a hosiery. On Friday evening after the incident, the Ladhowal police called divers but they failed to trace the victim due to darkness. On Saturday morning, the body was recovered. SHO, Ladhowal, Inspec- tor Harpreet Singh, said after recovering the body, it was sent to the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Inquest proceedings were initiated by the police in the matter. Deceased’s kin said besides Harsh, seven other youths had drowned but fortunately they got out of water safely. Relief for patients as docs call off strike Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 14 Finally, patients heaved a sigh of relief as doctors started the outpatient department (OPD) services for three hours, from 11 pm to 2 pm, on Saturday. Later this evening, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) decided to call off the strike after the government decided to accept doctors’ demands. The latter announced to extend OPD timings by two hours to compensate the loss and these will function from 8 am to 4 pm on Monday and Tuesday. OPD TIMINGS EXTENDED BY 2 HRS FOR MON, TUE Doctors have announced to extend OPD timings by two hours to compensate the loss of patients and these will function from 8 am to 4 pm on Monday and Tuesday. “The government has announced that all demands of the PCMSA have been accepted unconditionally. Security framework at all 24x7 healthcare centres of the state will be announced within one week and 400 posts of medical officer will be filled by next month. The ACP scheme will be unconditionally reinstated and implemented within the next 12 weeks,” said Dr Akhil Sareen, president of the association. “Also, OPD timings will be extended by two hours on the first two days of the next week to cater to patients inconvenienced during the suspension of the services,” Dr Sareen said. Meanwhile, government hospital OPDs today functioned from 11 am to 2 pm. “For the past two days I have been visiting the Civil Hospital but to no avail. Today, I met my doctor and got my medicine,” said Surjeet Kaur, a patient. “We know difficulties faced by patients but we were left with no other option but to adopt the way of agitation,” said a doctor from the Civil Hospital. Another patient, who was admitted for an orthopaedic surgery at the hospital, has decided to return home. “The operation was not being conducted. Hence, we are returning home as there is no point in waiting. Will come again after a few days,” said Manjeet Kaur, mother of the patient. Many patients had to return without seeing doctors due to a huge rush. The number of patients being referred to the GMC, Patiala, has increased. c m y b Two snatchers nabbed with gold, bike Ludhiana, September 14 The Ludhiana police today claimed to have nabbed two snatchers and recovered a motorcycle and 41 gm of melted gold from their possession. The suspects have been identified as Sunny, a resident of Dugri, and Roshan Chabra, a resident of Jawahar Nagar. ADCP Shubham Aggarwal, ACP Civil Lines, Jatin Bansal, , and SHO, Model Town, Inspector Avneet Kaur, issued a joint statement in this regard. Aggarwal said on September Theft at Army officer’s house Ludhiana, September 14 Thieves targeted the house of a woman army officer (Major), decamping with Rs 35,000 in cash, 3.5 tolas of gold jewellery and some silver items. The incident occurred at Chaudhary Colony here. Her husband, Gurvinder Singh (a retired Army officer) said he, along with his wife, stays in Udhampur, J&K. Their house was lying locked. When he returned home on September 10, he found locks broken and the house ransacked. He checked the CCTV footage and found images of thieves. Gurvinder criticised the police for their slow response in the case. A case has been registered. — TNS 8, the suspects had snatched a gold chain from a woman, Seema Gogna, from Gulati Chowk. After registering a case, the police started a probe. During the probe, the suspects were identified and after zeroing on their whereabouts, they were arrested by the Model Town police. A motorcycle being used in committing snatchings and 51 gm of melted gold were recovered from them. The ADCP said Sunny had a criminal past as four cases were registered against him in the past by the Ludhiana police. The Police Division 8 also arrested two snatchers, Jatin Kumar of Chandar Nagar and Rishav of Haidar Enclave. ACP Civil Lines, Jatin Bansal, , said the suspects had snatched a gold chain from Parminder Kaur at Ghumar Mandi on September 5. CCTV cameras had also captured the crime. After identifying them, they were arrested today. The police also recovered a gold chain, a knife, two motorcycles, three ATM cards and three mobile phones from the duo. He said Rishav had a criminal past as he was facing several cases registered against him by the Ludhiana police in the past. Now, further probe was launched to identify the role of the suspects in other loot and snatching cases. — TNS Five booked for bid to take illegal possession of plot Ludhiana, September 14 The Police Division 7 registered a case against five persons for attempting to take possession of a property in an illegal manner. The suspects have been identified as Sunil Kumar, Jaspreet Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Gobind Parshad and Amanpreet Singh. The complainant, Inderjit Singh Bhatia, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Mundian Kalan, told the police that he owns a plot in Guru Ram Das Nagar. The suspects had demolished the boundary wall of the property and tried to take its possession in an illegal manner. He said after buying the plot, he had got its mutation done in his favour. He even build a boundary wall and installed a gate to ensure that no other person encroach upon his land. In July this year, the suspects had brought a JCB machine and demolished the boundary wall of the plot. Following which, he lodged a police complaint. In the same month, they also excavated sand from his plot and stole 6,000 bricks and construction implements. Later, he filed several complaints with the police. The complainant said since the police failed to take speedy action on his complaints, he also filed a petition in a court, which eventually led to the registration of the case. Notably, the registered FIR has mentioned that if role of any other person comes to the fore during the investigation, he or she would also be nominated in the case as suspects. — TNS