Srinagar, May 26: Pained by the plight of the impoverished patients, doctors at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar have started crowdfunding to finance the treatment of the seriously ill people who cannot afford their medication.

Conceived two years ago by former GMC principal, Dr Samia Rashid, the basic idea behind the crowdfunding is to provide financial assistance to the poor and deserving who are not otherwise entitled to any government assistance under any scheme.

Though a bank account was opened two years back, it was not made operational since government had not given its approval. Come Ramadan the government finally gave a go ahead for the initiative

“I got the government sanction recently. The money is given to people who can’t afford treatment in the hospitals especially the patients with burn injuries. They require albumin and other dressings,” said Dr Rashid.

The account is currently under the control of GMC Principal and chief accounts officer who ensure that the money reaches the deserving patients.

“We have been circulating the account details among the staff members who are taking to social media for creating awareness. As it is Ramadan, most of our donors are contributing their zakat – 2.5% of their income,” said Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan, head department of Community Medicine, GMC.

A doctor at SMHS hospital said they receive around three to five patients with burn injuries every day. “The patients with burn injuries require Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), also known as intravenous or IV nutrition feeding. It is a method of getting nutrition into the body through the veins. This treatment is very costly,” he said.

Doctors said such patients need a lot of money for the treatment even after they are discharged from the hospital. “Sometimes, these people need high-end antibiotics and the subsequent rehabilitation efforts including dressing, medication, physiotherapy and surgical debridement (removal of damaged tissue). The wound healing processes are excruciating. The money is utilized for such patients,” said a doctor wishing not to be named.

Srinagar, May 26: Mainstream political parties have sharply reacted to the Governor administration’s recent decision of disengaging daily wagers and other temporary employees engaged after 2010.

The National Conference said that the administration should rethink its decision of “snatching livelihood” of poor workers who have families to feed.

“There daily wagers and consolidated workers are the lone bread winners of their families. Instead of snatching their livelihood, which is a wrong decision by governor administration, these workers should be facilitated for regularisation. Governor Administration should remove those employees who have been recruited through illegal procedures,” said NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar.

Sagar said that the Governor should reconsider the decision of disengaging these workers.

PDP vice president Abdul Rehman Veeri called it “wrong decision”.

“These workers should be allowed to continue their work. Removing them is a wrong decision by the administration. If the administration can’t provide employment to jobless people, it should not create joblessness by disengaging these workers,” said Veeri.

The government besides banning engagement of casual, seasonal, adhoc, consolidated, contractual, need-based and daily-rated workers also directed all the officers to discontinue all those workers engaged on or after April 29, 2010 and on or after 17 March 2015.

“It is impressed upon all the officers of the State government to strictly adhere/observe the statutory rules and codal provisions in letter and spirit and ensure that (i) any person appointed on adhoc/contractual/consolidated/ temporary basis after the imposition of ban on such engagements (i.e. on or after 29.04.2010) in contravention of the provisions of the Act shall forthwith cease to continue; (ii) any person engaged as casual/seasonal/need bases worker after imposition of ban on such engagements (i.e. on or after 17.03.2015) without specific approval of competent authority or without following due procedure shall also cease to continue forthwith; and (iii) in the event of failure to comply with these instructions, the concerned officer(s) will be held personally responsible and the amount due or paid to such irregular appointee(s)/engage(s) shall be recovered from the personal emoluments of the officer(s) concerned who had made/continued such engagements(s) in violation of the rules, orders or codal procedures, besides the termination of all such irregular appointment(s)/engagement(s),” reads the government order.

Srinagar, May 26: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday that people of the state are yearning for an elected government.

“In no case can the advisors of the governor replace the elected institution of legislature. It is only an elected government that can mitigate the mounting woes of the people,’ he said.

He asserted that biggest challenge ahead of the party is to put the state back on the path of development and peace, saying that the party will work on multiple fronts to achieve the anticipated goals of development and equitable development of all the regions of state.

While addressing various delegations who had called on him from Poonch, Hazratbal and south Kashmir areas to express their greeting to him he said, “I am indebted to the people for reposing their faith in our party. I appreciate the resolve of voters, who in spite of the numerous problems came out and reposed their faith in our party. The victory would not have been possible without the dynamic leadership of party vice president Omar Abdullah. The sweep that the party has been able to achieve in the Kashmir division owes its being to the collective efforts of party functionaries and party workers. I again take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every worker of ours, it is their victory, and it is the triumph of truth over falsehood, and the falsehood is bound to perish I salute the resolve of the people of Chenab valley and Pir Panchal for their determination. I assure them that the party will ensure the speedy development of all those areas.”

Party president while addressing the delegation said that the party was alive to the development demands of the people. “We are privy to the fact that development and prosperity have been the major causalities of the former BJP-PDP coalition. Once in power the party will make amends to the imprudent policies of the former coalition government. On one hand the party will fight for the safe guard of the identity of the state and on the other the motor the sluggish pace of development in the state, with the help of god and the proactive support of the people of the state we will indeed be able to deliver on both the fronts,” he said.