MAN & WIFE......

A bookseller conducting a market survey asked a woman –

“Which book has helped you most in your life?”
The woman replied – “My husband’s check book!!”
A prospective husband in a book store “Do you have a book called, ‘Husband – the Master of the House’? 
Sales Girl: “Sir, Fiction and Comics are on the 1st floor”.
Someone asked an old man: “Even after 70 years, you still call your wife – Darling, Honey, Luv.

What’s the secret?
Old man: I forgot her name and I’m scared to ask her.

Husband to wife – Today is a fine day. Next day he says: Today is a fine day.

Again next day, he says same thing – today is a fine day.

Finally after a week, the wife asks her husband – since last week, you are saying “today is a fine day”.

I am fed up. What’s the matter? 
Husband: Last week when we had an argument, you said, “I will leave you one fine day.”

I was just trying to remind you……" 

Now that they are retired, my mother and father were discussing all aspects of their future. "What will you do if I die before you do?" Dad asked Mom.
  
After some thought, Mom said that she'd probably look for a house-sharing situation with three other single or widowed women who might be a little younger than herself, since she is so active for her age.
  
Then Mom asked Dad, "What will you do if I die first?"
  
He replied, "Probably the same thing."

Bill tried to cheer up Hillary today by reminding her that Nelson Mandela 

wasn't elected president until after he spent 27 years in prison.

 

Sent by Prakash Bhartia

CALCUTTA HIGH COURT ALLOWS APPEAL AGAINST “BANGABIBHUSAN” AWARD TO THE NEGLIGENT DOCTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR ANURADHA SAHA’S DEATH BY MAMATA BANERJEE’S GOVERNMENT IN WEST BENGAL

by PBTINDIA on SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

Calcutta High Court (HC) division bench of Justices Mr. Girish Chandra Ghosh and Mr. Shib Sadhan Sadhu has set aside single-bench judgment and allowed an appeal filed by PBT president, Dr. Kunal Saha, challenging the fraudulent and wrongful selection of Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee for the prestigious Bangabibhusan award in medicine in 2014 by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal. Despite conviction by the Supreme Court of India and award of highest compensation for gross medical negligence causing death of Anuradha Saha, Bengal government had chosen Dr. Mukherjee for the Bangabibhusan award through a botched selection process in order to restore Dr. Mukherjee’s grossly tainted public image. Allegation against the Mamata Banerjee government also included gross abuse of power and violation of Article 144 of Indian Constitution which mandates that all public and private authorities are duty bound to abide by the observations made by the Apex Court. The Bengal government had also appointed the negligent physician (Dr. Mukherjee) as the “chief adviser” for the health department.

After Dr. Saha challenged the state government’s decision to choose Dr. Mukherjee for the Bangabibhusan award, a single-Judge dismissed his writ petition last year solely on the ground of locus standi without looking into the merit of the case that also included serious allegation of “fraud” by the Mamata Banerjee government. An appeal was moved by Dr. Saha against the said judgment by the single-bench. Dr. Saha also appeared “in person” and argued before the division bench during his visit to Kolkata last month. The division bench today has allowed Dr. Saha’s appeal and set aside the ground of locus standi as held by the single-bench Judge and remanded the case back to the single-bench with direction that the case must be judged on merit including the allegation of fraud against the state government.

As admitted in the response-affidavit filed by the State Govt., Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee headed a 5-member Committee that selected Dr. Mukherjee for the Bangabibhusan award on 17th May, 2014 (Govt. affidavit attached, see page 17-18). Ironically, a day earlier, that is on 16th May, 2014, Kolkata media had already published names of everybody, including Dr. Mukherjee, who received the Bangabibhusan award for the year 2014. Obviously, it was a fraudulent and botched selection by the Mamata Banerjee for the Bangabibhusan award. But the single-judge never considered the serious allegation of deception and fraud by the state government while dismissing the writ petition last year. The court will now have to look into these allegations of fraud and wrongdoings by the state government on merit. Dr. Saha has sough a full CBI investigation of the process for Bangabibhusan award and removal of Dr. Mukherjee from the highest award by the state government.

It takes eight years to finalise major corruption case: CVC

Posted on September 08, 2015 from Delhi, National ι Report #29599

New Delhi: An exceedingly protracted eight years is how long it takes on an average to finalise a major corruption case against any government employee, says a recent study by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on prolonged disciplinary cases.

The anti-corruption watchdog tenders advice -- First Stage Advice (FSA) on the investigation report and Second Stage Advice (SSA) before a final decision is taken at the conclusion of the proceedings -- on approximately 5,000 vigilance cases every year.

"On an average, it takes more than eight years for finalising a major vigilance case from the date of occurrence of irregularity, whereas detection of irregularity takes on an average more than two years," the study said.

There is a delay on an average of about two years in conducting and finalising the preliminary investigation for the FSA, it said.

Further, it is a matter of concern that implementation of FSA, appointment of Inquiry Officer, finalising of its report and sending the departmental comments for SSA altogether takes more than 2.6 years, the study said.

There is an average delay of about five months in implementation or non-implementation (that is, final decision by the department) of the Commission's advice, which further takes more than five months on an average in intimating the same to the Commission, it said.

"Findings also reveal that the average delay on part of Inquiry Officers is significant and to the tune of about 1.3 years and, if this delay is clubbed with investigation at first stage, it goes up to 3.4 years. That clearly requires suitable interventions at the level of investigation both at first and second stage," the study has pointed out.

The three-member committee which conducted the study said there are no reports which give the information sector-wise or as pertaining to Chief Vigilance Officers, who act as the distant arm of the CVC, for determining the delay at each stage of a case in totality.

"Therefore, there is a need to create additional report formats to study delays in cases," it said.

Karate girl kicks her way out of molesters’ clutches

BARASAT: A 16-year-old girl returning home alone in the evening seemed like an easy target for two drunken men. They reached out to grab her, only to get a fistful of fury.

The teenager punched them in the face, kicked them where it hurts most, left them bloody, battered and bewildered — and running for their lives. In Madhyamgram, the northern outskirts of Kolkata where molestation and rape are almost an everyday nightmare, the story of a fightback has turned this karate girl into an instant hero.

When TOI spoke to her, she was all charged up and still in sparring mode. "Mere mukh pathiye diyechi (I smashed their faces). They got what they deserved. I am not afraid of them," the braveheart said. "I started learning karate a year ago because I feared I might be sexually assaulted. Crimes against women have risen alarmingly in our part of town. I wanted to be able to defend myself and I am glad I did," she said.

The duo, who are on the run, are habitual offenders. They are in a group of five that hangs around Doltala area, harassing any woman who passes by. "They had been teasing me and my friend for the past few weeks. I had complained against them to local people but no one dared speak a word against them. They are a terror for women," she said. "I told myself that if it crossed a line, I would fight back."

On Monday evening, she was returning home from karate class, clad in a track suit, when the duo spotted her. "They were on bicycles. They suddenly sped towards me and pushed me hard. I fell down. They were drunk and hurled filthy abuses at me. When I protested, they grabbed my hand and tried to drag me away," she said. The teenager sprung at them. "I punched one of them in the temple and the other in the face. The first one staggered back, shocked. The other one fell down, groaning and holding his face in his hands. I could see blood dripping through his fingers. The first one tried to punch me. I blocked it and threw a front kick. He collapsed in a heap. The other one again came at me, and I hit him with a barrage of punches to his face and temples. Both of them were writhing on the ground," she told TOI.

Passersby stood stunned. Still no one came forward to help. The battered duo staggered to their feet, got back on their cycles and pedaled away, threatening to teach her a lesson. Local resident Shankari Haldar, who witnessed her in action, said, "I was stunned by her courage. She kicked and punched the youths and they fell flat. But it is unfortunate that they managed to flee. Other girls should also learn martial arts to keep such criminals at bay."

The girl filed an FIR. Police say they have identified one of the accused and raids are on to arrest them. "When I started learning karate, my parents did not support me. Now I am sure I will never stop practicing martial arts.

The unethical revenue targets that India’s corporate hospitals set their doctors

What can be done about financial targets for doctors working in profit driven hospitals that lead to expensive but unnecessary tests and surgery that also come with risk of harm, asks Meera Kay 

Meera Kay journalist, Bangalore

 “For seven years I had to bear the burden of doing unnecessary investigations and procedures, including angioplasty, under pressure from the management of the hospital,” Gautam Mistry, a cardiologist in Kolkata, told The BMJ.

What Mistry is describing is one of the best kept secrets of India’s private healthcare sector—consultants hired by private hospitals have to meet targets for generating revenue by overprescribing diagnostic tests and avoidable surgeries.

No data exist on the prevalence of such targets, and Mistry did not disclose details of what targets he had been set.

 “Significant numbers of patients must be advised to be admitted for surgery or medical procedures that bring in real financial profit for the hospital,” explained Kunal Saha, adjunct professor and HIV/AIDS consultant in Ohio, United States, and president of People for Better Treatment, a non-governmental organisation that promotes corruption free healthcare in India.

 Unnecessary risk, additional cost “Needless surgery, even simple procedures like tonsillectomy or appendectomy, may cause unexpected hazards for the patient,” he said.

Unnecessary surgery not only comes with the risk of harm but also burdens patients and their families financially, often directly. “In the absence of any effective medical insurance system, most ordinary patients in India are forced to pay the hefty hospital bills out of their own pockets,” Saha said.

Such unethical practices are widely known about in medical circles but public discourse has been lacking. “Doctors who face pressure from hospital management to overprescribe surgeries or investigations fear for their livelihood,” Mistry told The BMJ. “They also need to practise for a certain number of years, and by complaining they would be jeopardising their career.”

Conscience takes a back seat

Support for Advocacy and Training to Health Initiatives (SATHI), a non-governmental organisation based in Pune, documented the problem for the first time in its recent report, Voices of Conscience from the Medical Profession.

The report contains interviews that the gynaecologist Arun Gadre held with 78 doctors throughout India. 

1 More than half of India’s hospital beds are in the private sector.

2 Gadre, an associate coordinator at SATHI, told The BMJ that India has seen a rise in multispecialty hospitals. “Some are run by corporates but most are run by business minded professionals,” he said. “Their main aim is to generate revenue and profits for their investors. In the race to earn higher profits, conscience takes a back seat, and doctors are encouraged to indulge in unethical practice.” Sharing the feedback of a surgeon from a metropolitan city, Gadre recounted, “Corporate hospitals are not content unless there is some procedure or operation done related to each bed in the hospital.”

Performance targets raise efficiency.

Some doctors disagree about the ubiquity of financial targets for doctors, including Devi Shetty, cardiac surgeon and chairman of the Narayana Health Group, which runs 32 hospitals for profit in 20 locations in India and abroad. 

“We often hear about revenue targets for doctors in private hospitals; I know it is a very rare phenomenon,” he told The BMJ. He said that Narayana’s hospitals do not set financial targets for doctors but do set performance targets to raise efficiency. “Hospitals like ours will definitely expect doctors to work long hours to serve the needs of thousands of outpatients. We can’t afford to have doctors spending more than an hour with a single patient. But setting financial goals for a doctor is not a common practice in India,” he said

Regulating doctors’ practice

In taking the Hippocratic oath every doctor pledges to uphold ethical standards. Yet allegations such as these indicate an inability of some doctors to regulate themselves.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) is responsible for institutional regulation of medical services. But its reputation is in tatters—its inability to collect data on alleged medical negligence and general failure to bring prosecutions do not instill confidence.

3 The cry for transparency at all levels of the MCI is growing ever louder in India.

4 Saha said that the MCI had unequivocal and stringent provisions against unethical medical practice by registered physicians, which clearly encompass the deliberate referral for unnecessary medical or surgical procedures. But, “such medical laws are hardly enforced by the Machiavellian MCI and other state medical councils that have always worked only to maintain the hitherto ‘untouchable’ status of the Indian medical community,” he said.

“A radical change in the structure and functioning of the MCI is the need of the hour,” Gadre told The BMJ. “The elected members are all doctors, which could result in a biased outlook.” He said that the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010, which is not uniformly implemented in India, should be enforced by the government, because it has provisions to check the prescription of surgeries and investigation. He said that all practice should be evidence based, with standard treatment guidelines.

People for Better Treatment and SATHI are among a handful of organisations in India voicing concerns over revenue targets for doctors at corporate hospitals. People for Better Treatment is trying to tackle unethical practice by recourse to the law, through public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India, for example, to allow the public to challenge complaints that the MCI drops. The Society for Less Investigative Medicine, which was initiated last year by cardiologists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, hopes to raise awareness of evidence based recommendations for medical care.6 7

Second opinions India now has several internet portals that offer a second medical opinion, such as mediangels.com and apkadoctor.com, which run on the premise that surgical interventions in India are overprescribed. One report showed that second opinions about surgery reversed the recommendation in 44% of 12 500 patients.

However, these companies are for-profit ventures and charge patients for second opinion consultations. “Honest and well minded doctors must stand up and speak out loud against their corrupt medical colleagues,” said Saha. The public “must also raise their voices to mount pressure to force the inept government to take exemplary action against the unprincipled doctors and avaricious private hospitals,” he said.  

The BMJ contacted the MCI and the Association of Healthcare Providers (India), the trade body for private hospitals, but had not received responses by the time this article was published.

Competing interests:

I have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and have no relevant interests to declare.

Do you have a story to tell about how financial targets have affected your practice as a doctor? Let us know by sending a rapid response to this article or by emailing rhurley@bmj.com in confidence.

Provenance and peer review:

Commissioned; not externally peer reviewed.

1 Gadre A. India’s private healthcare sector treats patients as revenue generators. BMJ 2015;350:h826. 

2 Edacherian S. Financial growth of private players in Indian hospital sector. Frost and Sullivan. 14 Feb 2014. www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=289119345.

3 Nagarajan R. Clean slate for doctors on medical negligence. Times of India 2013 Dec 15. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Clean-slate-for-doctors-on-medical-negligence/ articleshow/27394151.cms.

4 Pandya SK. The Medical Council of India: need for total overhaul. Indian J Med Ethics 2014;11:68-71.

5 Francis PA. States and clinical establishments. Pharmabiz 2015 Apr 29. www.pharmabiz. com/ArticleDetails.aspx?aid=87988&sid=3.

6 Travasso C. Indian cardiologists plan campaign to reduce unnecessary investigations. BMJ 2014;349:g4740.

7 Nagarajan R. Doctors across India join hands to stop practice of unwanted tests. Times of India 2015 May 17. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Doctors-across-India-joinhands-to-stop-practice-of-unwanted-tests/articleshow/47313607.cms.

8 Iyer M. 44% advised unnecessary surgery: 2nd opinion-givers. Times of India 2015 Jan 4. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/44-advised-unnecessary-surgery-2nd-opiniongivers/articleshow/45746903.cms.

RAM RAJ TO POLICE RAJ: MILITARY VETERANS HIT WITH ARMED POLICE AND BROKEN PROMISES

Lt GENERAL VIJAY OBEROI 
Elections and false promises are the staple of politics the world over, but in India our political leaders take the cake. When the last General Elections were announced, the people of India had had enough of the government in power at that time. Corruption, sycophancy, runaway inflation, lack of employment opportunities et al had made people cynical and the loss of faith in democracy was evident. The country needed ‘change’ in all aspects of functioning. Clever politicians smell such cynicism and hence when election time comes and voters have to be wood, no politician is found wanting in the promises he or she makes. That is democracy for the gullible, as most promises are broken or glossed over later! A senior minister in the present cabinet has admitted that it is so without mincing any words, while discussing OROP. 

Many of our citizens are simple indeed and possibly the most gullible are military personnel. When the erstwhile Chief Minister of Gujarat threw his pagri in the ring and was soon projected by his party as their chosen and designated future Prime Minister, the public bought it hook, line and sinker, as he came with the reputation of a doer. The military part of the nation’s polity was at the forefront of this acceptance and lapped it up in every conceivable way, including forsaking their earlier method of casting their votes after studying the merits and demerits of the candidates in their constituencies and not on the basis of their political affiliations. This led to the piling up of votes for the BJP and soon we saw the erstwhile Chief Minister of Gujarat in his new avatar of Prime Minister Modi. 

During the run up to the elections, the Prime Minister Designate virtually promised a return of ‘Ram Raj’ and people lapped up this also, completely forgetting that Kaliyug, with all its negativity still prevailed and political leaders were the same, irrespective of their parties, touting transparency, honesty and other virtues! Soon, however, Ram Raj disappeared and Modi Raj took over. Initially, it augured well for good governance, as the new Prime Minister brought in both professionalism and energy to the task of good governance. However, the initial eagle-eye on the working of the bureaucracy, gave way within a few months to succumbing to the blandishments of the bureaucrats, who waved somewhat unfamiliar rule books at the political leaders, forgetting that it is the political leadership that makes or changes rules! Soon, the all powerful bureaucracy prevailed once again and sadly we moved from Modi Raj to Official’s Raj. Governance had come back full circle and it once again became business as usual. 

It was in this milieu that the simple veterans decided to re-affirm their extremely legitimate demand for OROP that had been promised ad infinitum by not only the Prime Minister but also his ministers and party leaders. When meetings and negotiations produced no results, the veterans decided to resume their protests, which had been earlier temporarily abandoned. By now, disillusionment with the new government had set in on account of delays and the negative attitude of the political leadership. 

The protests commenced at the designated venue laid down for protests, after permissions had been duly obtained. The response was overwhelming and continues to be so even after two months of relentless protests. As mid-August approached, signals that a resolution was in sight and in all probability a positive announcement would be made by Prime Minister Modi soon buoyed up the expectations of all military personnel, both veterans and those currently serving. 

It was one day before Independence Day, when the mood of the protesters was upbeat, that disaster struck. On this fateful morning, even the Official’s Raj came a cropper and we saw the ugly spectacle of heavily armed police in full riot gear sweeping down on the unsuspecting veteran protesters and evicting them from the Jantar Mantar complex by force. The new Police Raj had shown its ugly face! 

Not that this Raj is original as far as the public is concerned, but the segment of the polity known as the military had not directly felt it! Was it a grave omission of governance by the Modi/Official’s Raj, or a pre-planned effort on the part of the government that the police was tasked to throw out the protesters? Your guess is as good as mine! 

There was neither any warning nor any explanation for such behaviour on a body of long-retired veterans, including many octogenarians who had been protesting for their justifiable and legally correct demand for the long promised OROP. What was most astonishing was that this was done when the OROP had been accepted in toto, not only by the Modi Raj, but also by all its predecessor governments and political leaders of all hues and colours. It was a shameful act by a government that has been boasting about its so-called achievements in the field of governance and empowering the common man. There was no cogent reason for this action except plain cussedness. 

As the veterans had not been subjected to this new face of governance, there was both consternation and bewilderment. However, being military persons, they soon recovered and rallied against this onslaught. While one group of leaders took over the mantle of keeping the hot-heads in check, others commenced contacting the concerned administrative officials, political big-wigs and the media. The power the state unleashed on the dignified, unarmed, peaceful protesters, including some families and Veer Nari’s did not become a melee on account of the sober and mature handling by the leaders of the movement. 

Whatever be the reason for this shameful and unthinking action, it was compounded the next day when the Prime Minister decided to say a few words, as an afterthought it seemed, at the end of his long and much anticipated Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort. How ironical that Prime Minister Modi again repeated old clichés of more time needed and unknown complexities for the non-implementation of OROP, despite all the brouhaha preceding it. This was possibly the first instance of an apology of excuses to military personnel delivered from a locale that has traditionally been associated with all things military and the historical seat of power in the times of yore. 

The Prime Minister in his speech had boasted about over Rs. Three lakh crores coming in to the coffers of the government through auction of coal fields and another substantial chunk coming in soon from auction of the spectrum. Splendid Sir, but why is a mere 9000 crores for OROP so difficult to digest by our venerable pundits sitting in the Ministry of Finance? 

At least, all military personnel and their families have now learnt that the much repeated phrase of ‘Team India’ articulated by Prime Minister Modi in his speech does not include them. What a fall for the guardians of the sovereignty of the nation. 

The protests will of course continue and perhaps with additional vigour, but what begs the question is why the military that is literally worshipped in most countries is not only ignored but is not respected by our so-called enlightened political leaders. I also want to know why the civil society has become mute spectators to such humiliation of those who have risen time and again to protect them and safe guard the nation from its enemies. 

(The writer is a former Vice Chief of the Army)
The original article may be read on   http://www.thecitizen.in/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=4775&RAM/RAJ/TO/POLICE/RAJ:/MILITARY/VETERANS/HIT/WITH/ARMED/POLICE/AND/BROKEN/PROMISES

2015 Ramon Magsaysay Awards: Whistle-blower still believes India can be corruption-free

Posted on August 27, 2015 from Philippines ι Report #26209

MANILA, Philippines - What do you get for being a man of courage and conviction?

Twelve transfers in five years, an illegal suspension order, an invented charge sheet, a demotion and a spoiled annual confidential report.

This is what 41-year-old Sanjiv Chaturvedi has faced in the past years for unearthing numerous scandals involving high-ranking officials in India.

In 2008, Forest Service Officer Chaturvedi blew the whistle on the digging of a canal without the permission of Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary in Haryana, northern India.

When he found that trees were being chopped, he did what duty called for – he filed a complaint with the chief wildlife warden, but was warned by the state principal secretary that he would face disciplinary action. He was then transferred to another office.

Upon transfer, however, Chaturvedi uncovered another irregularity when he found out that government funds were being used in growing herbal plants in a privately owned land. He filed another complaint and the state hit back at him with greater force. He was suspended from work until the ministry revoked the order when they realized that evidence and facts of the case were ambiguous.

After revoking the suspension, Chaturvedi was posted at a position below his rank.

For Chaturvedi, he was just doing his duty and irregularities had to be reported to the proper authorities to be rightfully addressed.

“We are trustees of public funds, of these natural resources,” he once told his brother, also an Indian Forest Service officer in another state.

For his “exemplary integrity, courage, and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly investigating corruption in public office, and his resolute crafting of program and system improvements to ensure that government honorably serves the people of India,” Chaturvedi was bestowed the Ramon Magsaysay Award this year, along with four others in their respective fields.

In an interview with The Wire, Chaturvedi admitted, “No officer from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) congratulated me, not even the director or anyone in the ministry. The only two prominent persons who called me are Haryana Minister Anil Vij and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.”

For Chaturvedi, the biggest challenge in fighting corruption is when officers like him “come into conflict with the higher ups in the political establishment, since all the disciplinary powers are with them.”

The whistle-blower still believes that India can be corruption-free, since other developed countries have sufficiently contained the blight. “If we somehow manage to reach a critical number, then it will become difficult for the government to stifle our voice,” he said.

Article Courtesy: Philstar