Hospital staff in Puttur protest against bribery allegations for post-mortem services
Puttur: Outsourced staff members of a government hospital in Puttur staged a protest on Saturday in response to allegations made by a social organization claiming that post-mortems were being conducted only after bribes were paid. The staff vehemently denied these allegations and clarified that they were merely accepting the allowances provided to them.
Expressing their outrage, the outsourced staff members, who assist the hospital staff with post-mortems, protested against the baseless accusations made by the Kaliyuga Seva Samiti of Chikkamudnur. They highlighted the lack of evidence and emphasized that they had been falsely accused of bribery. As a result, the staff refused to cooperate with the post-mortem examinations of two bodies at the hospital.
Two deceased individuals, Sharath Joshi (22) from Bellare, who passed away due to a heart attack, and Rajan (51) from Kollam in Kerala, who resided in Nattibail, Uppinangady, and worked as a cement ring maker, were brought to the hospital mortuary. The families of the deceased however, faced difficulties as the protesting staff members outside the hospital refused to cooperate with the post-mortem examinations.
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Puttur Taluk Health Officer Dr. Deepak Rai and hospital doctor Dr. Yaduraj engaged in discussions with the protesting staff in an effort to resolve the issue. The doctors appealed to the staff to cooperate with the ongoing post-mortem examinations of the two bodies. Subsequently, the staff members opened the mortuary door and proceeded with the post-mortem examinations.
Dr. Deepak Rai, the Taluk Health Officer, spoke to Vartha Bharathi, stating, "Only government employees have the authority to conduct post-mortems. Outsourcing is not practiced by our employees. We work tirelessly for meager salaries, driven by our commitment to serving humanity. It is true that we receive what is offered to us, but we do not ask for bribes. Nevertheless, baseless allegations have been leveled against us, prompting our protest and refusal to perform the post-mortems."
Dr. Rai expressed concern over the situation, highlighting the inadequate number of government employees available to conduct post-mortems. Out of the 34 posts in the B group, only two are filled, with three staff members working on an outsourced basis alongside the doctors for post-mortem examinations, and three staff members serving as assistants. Their remuneration is significantly low, and they often have to work during nighttime hours. Despite these challenges, the staff members have been dedicated to their work, contributing to the esteemed reputation of Puttur hospital in the district, he said.
Dr. Rai demanded that the accusers clarify who is allegedly receiving bribes and urged them to withdraw their unfounded allegations. He emphasized that the reputation of the hospital had been tarnished due to these accusations against doctors and staff members.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
