Doctors deliver tireless emergency services during heavy shelling in Poonch, Rajouri
Poonch/Rajouri: Medical doctors and personnel working in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir delivered emergency treatment during the May 7 shelling of artillery shells.
The conditions were "war-like," with shells landing close to the Government Medical College and Associated Hospital in Rajouri, Principal Amarjeet Singh Bhatia reported.“The sound of explosions was constant, even near the hospital premises. As soon as the shelling began, we declared an emergency and called all staff in,” he said.
For four straight days, the hospital functioned as a fully mobilized emergency unit. Medical personnel did not leave their posts, nor did they follow shift schedules. Instead, they worked round-the-clock, even converting the hospital basement into temporary accommodation for staff and patients. “Our team stayed inside the hospital for the entire duration. Everyone, from senior surgeons to support staff, was fully committed,” Dr. Bhatia said.
During this period, the hospital received 30 patients with injuries from the shelling. While three, including a senior official, were declared dead on arrival, the remaining 27 received immediate treatment. “Three patients were in critical condition, but our doctors performed multiple surgeries, and they are now stable,” he added.
In Poonch district, the District Hospital became a lifeline as wounded civilians began arriving from the early hours of May 7. “We had patients pouring in from 4 a.m. The emergency wing was packed, and resources were stretched, but every single patient was attended to,” said Dr. Rubina, Medical Officer at the hospital.
Dr. Rubina and her husband, the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, coordinated the emergency response for uninterrupted medical services. “Despite the pressure and limited supplies, no one was left untreated. All doctors, paramedics, and support staff gave their all to serve the injured,” she said.
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Palakkad: Hotel owners hold protest march against gas price hike
Palakkad (Kerala) (PTI): Hotel and restaurant owners on Saturday held a protest march in Palakkad against the recent nearly Rs 1,000 hike in commercial gas cylinder prices.
The protesters marched through the town holding placards and images of gas cylinders. They also carried two cylinders on a stretcher with a wreath placed on top, according to visuals aired on television channels.
The hotel and restaurant owners contended that it would be difficult for them to sustain their businesses in view of the high cost of commercial gas cylinders.
They said that many of them had been forced to shut their establishments earlier due to the scarcity of commercial gas cylinders, and that most had only recently reopened.
“But the sudden increase in commercial gas cylinder prices has affected our operations,” the protesters said.
Similar concerns were raised by restaurant owners and workers from other parts of the state in response to queries from reporters.
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association had on Friday announced a statewide protest strike on May 6 against the Rs 993 hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices.
KHRA state president G Jayapal said that all hotels and restaurants across Kerala would remain shut on that day in protest against what he termed an “unfair” increase in LPG prices.
He added that over the past five months, the price of a single cylinder had increased by a total of Rs 1,498.
On May 6, establishments will remain closed, and protest marches and dharnas will be held in front of district headquarters and oil company offices, he said.
