Jet Airways lifts medicine, baby food for valley

Srinagar: Belying repeated government claims that there was no shortage of medicines and baby food in the valley, the Jet Airways today carried a consignment of the desperately needed life-savers here on the SOS from a non-governmental organization. These are being rushed to the Valley’s district and general hospitals.
A Jet Airways official, pleading anonymity, said the airliner facilitated airlifting emergency relief (medicines and baby milk powder) free of cost from Delhi to Srinagar on its flight 3 SEP 08 following a request from an NGO.
Instantly, the airliner got approval from its general manager for North India, Nischal Bhasin, to airlift the humanitarian aid consignment free of cost. The medicine would be distributed in Government Medical College hospitals in Srinagar and districts hospitals across the valley. “We thought the consignments should go free of charge as the valley is facing problems due to lack of medicines,” said the official.
On Tuesday, the International Committee of Red Cross came to the rescue of the Bone and Joint Surgery hospital at Barzulla, after it completely ran out of the essential medical supplies due to economic blockade and curfew.
The ICRC provided the medical supplies like cotton, bandage and IV drip sets to the hospital after its authorities sought the organization’s support. The hospital had no medical supplies and equipments in store, not even cotton and bandage. Then the ICRC provided some 2000 pounds of cotton besides other essentials to the hospital. The doctors had warned that the stocks would suffice just two weeks.
Even as the doctors in various Associated hospitals in the city and the districts hospitals are complaining of lack of medicine, senior officials have chosen to look the other way and have been insisting that enough stocks were available.
03/09/08 Naseer A Ganai/GreaterKashmir.com

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Categories: Jet Airways Sep 2008