MSEU leaders arrested

PUDR,PUCR,Citizens'front condemned

New Delhi, 19 September. People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi, People's Union for Civil Rights, Haryana and Citizens' Front in Support of Maruti Suzuki Workers' Struggle condemn the arrest of leaders of the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union last night even while the negotiations were going on.
MSEU President Sonu Kumar, General Secretary Shiv Kumar and Ravinder were arrested by the Gurgaon police around 10.30 PM on 18 September, as soon as they came out of the meeting with Maruti Suzuki officials. Talks were on since 16 September between the union, management of Maruti Suzuki and the labour department to end the lockout forced by the company since 29 August. Talks broke down late last night when the management refused to take back the dismissed and suspended workers. Apparently, the police were prepared for this and the union leaders were arrested immediately after that.
The police had filed an FIR against Ravinder alleging his involvement in a case of scuffle with some supervisors. But there was no case against Sonu Kumar and Shiv Kumar and they were leading the negotiations with the management. It is clear that the Gurgaon police and the Haryana government are acting at the behest of the company to crush the workers' struggle for fully justified demands.
We demand that the arrested leaders be released immediately and talks should be restarted. The state government must stop acting as an agent of the company and intervene to ensure that workers get justice. 

People's Union for Democratic Rights, DELHI
People's Union for Civil Rights, HARYANA
Citizens' Front in Support of Maruti Suzuki Workers' Struggle

Mother's heart stopped while baby's heart kept beating

Rare Heart Surgery Saves Life of Mother and Child

Ludhiana, 19th September, 2011:(Shalu Arora) Mrs Gurpreet Kaur – a 25 y lady - w/o Mr Manmeet Singh r/o Kidwai Nagar Ludhiana was in a dire condition. The whole family had been overjoyed when Gurpreet had got pregnant . Then at the 28^th week of pregnancy she started getting extremely short of breath. On examination it was found that one of her valves (the mitral valve) had got very tight. She was referred to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital , Ludhiana. Dr Bedi realized that due to the pregnancy Gurpreet’s blood volume had increased and so the valve which was already too small due to the disease was now functionally smaller as more blood had to pass through it. The blood was getting trapped in the lungs and so she was unable to breathe . Dr Bedi explained that this is like pulmonary edema where a patient basically drowns in her own blood . An intervention  procedure had been tried at another hospital but had failed . On admission to the CMC her condition was quite critical. She was also seen by the Head of Obstetrics Dr K Awasthi and Dr A Kellogg and a joint decision taken to perform an open heart surgery to save the mother and to let the baby continue growth in the womb. Dr Bedi told that any open heart surgery in a pregnant mother carries a high risk of miscarriage – but the surgery was essential to save the mother. With utmost care and continuous monitoring of the baby with special equipment - the delicate open heart surgery was done on 6^th July 2011 . At surgery the mother’s heart was stopped – but the baby’s heart was allowed to beat normally and was monitored by a fetal monitor. Dr Bedi said that it was quite an eerie and spiritual moment to see the flat ECG of the mother and the normal beat of the baby . Anesthesia for this delicate case was given by Cardiac Anesthetist Dr Arun Gupta  . The heart lung machine was managed by Mr Jairus and Mr William who are among the senior most experts in this field . The other members of the team are Dr Allen, Dr Viju Abraham, Dr Paul, Dr Neharika, Dr Susan, Dr Miria and Dr Arjin  .

Gurpreet then recovered well and delivered a healthy baby boy on 9^th Sep 2011 in the CMC by Dr Tapsaya Dhar Maseeh  who said that both mother and child are in the pink of health. Dr Bedi said that such cases are relatively rare . The first priority is to save the mother and also aim to have a normal baby. The whole CMC team was very happy that both mother and baby were well. Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – told that a multi speciality care was essential for the appropriate management of such complex cases.

Marine Controller Sends Sky Support

By Marine Corps Pfc. Sean Dennison 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Sept. 14, 2011 - A Marine Corps pilot switched his workplace from the air to the ground to coordinate sky-launched assaults against the enemy here. Marine Corps Capt. Daniel Fiust, who'd flown AV-8B Harrier aircraft with Marine Attack Squadron 513, now serves as a forward air controller in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Sean Dennison  Capt. Daniel Fiust had flown missions with other AV-8B Harrier jet pilots assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 513. Now he's helping to provide close-air support from the sky to Marines fighting on the ground."We look at what type of support the Marines need, and update our tactics based on what we're seeing of the enemy from the air," said Fiust, who hails from San Carlos, Calif. In his role as air officer and a forward air controller for 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Fiust serves as the coordinator between the battalion and the fixed- and rotary-wing assets of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). A battalion air officer serves as a liaison for aviation squadrons supporting ground Marines, directing and dispersing air assets across the battalion's area of operations. Fiust said he's responsible for coordinating flight times and routes for dozens of combat aircraft dedicated to protecting Marines on the ground. "We integrate all functions of aviation with ground combat missions," he said. "Basically, anything aerial, we have a role in." A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fiust had spent more than three years with flying squadrons, when he reported to the air officer's course, part of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1's Weapons and Tactics Instructor course. "I really wanted to work with infantry units," Fiust explained. "As a [close-air support] pilot, I wanted to see what things were like on the ground and do my part to contribute." The air officer is the senior forward air controller in a battalion, supervising the unit's forward air controllers and enlisted joint terminal attack controllers, who patrol with their squads and protect them by calling in airstrikes. Fiust said he believes the relationship between air officers on the ground and the squadrons is an example of military teamwork that saves lives. And�his new responsibilities on the ground provide a different perspective about fighting the war, Fiust said. "As a pilot, I sometimes felt detached from the situation," he said. "As an air officer, you're more emotionally invested." �

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force U.S. Forces Afghanistan

Wounded Warrior to Star in Reality Show

By Elaine Sanchez 
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2011 - A few weeks ago, I was browsing the Web, filling my insatiable appetite for pop culture trivia, when I saw a familiar face among the new cast of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Army veteran J.R. Martinez, a wounded warrior turned motivational speaker and actor, will appear on the new season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."  Among a line of reality and pop stars was Army veteran J.R. Martinez, a wounded warrior turned motivational speaker and actor. I smiled as I recalled meeting the former soldier three years ago.At the time, I was the post newspaper editor at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio and had volunteered to write about a special camp for military teens whose parents were wounded or deployed. The camp took place at the middle school, and when I arrived, the teens already had split into small groups to share their stories. One table in particular caught my eye. A group of 16- and 17-year-olds was intently listening to a wounded warrior as he shared his wartime experiences. I approached the table, camera in hand, and first noticed his face was heavily scarred. But after a few seconds, I saw only a young man with a ready smile, at ease with the teens around him. He laughed and joked with them as he talked about his experiences and shared his message of resilience and hope, qualities he had acquired in spades several years ago. In March 2003, Martinez was less than a month into his deployment when the Humvee he was driving struck a landmine. Three soldiers were thrown from the burning vehicle, but Martinez was trapped inside. He suffered severe burns to more than 40 percent of his body. He spent 34 months in recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and underwent 33 surgeries. While in recovery, Martinez began to share his story with other burn patients, which eventually led him to become a highly sought-after motivational speaker. He now travels the country, spreading a message of resilience and optimism. He also pursued an acting career, and plays a combat veteran on ABC's "All My Children." That day in San Antonio, Martinez shared his story with me and his desire to help others. He hoped the teens would be able to relate to him, he said, and gain inspiration from his story. I met many wounded warriors in my time at Fort Sam, but Martinez left a lasting impression. He could have withdrawn after such a terrible tragedy. But instead, he has stepped into the spotlight with an indelible message of hope. I'm excited about his upcoming appearance on the new season of "Dancing with the Stars." While people may tune in to see the sambas and cha chas, I hope they also are reminded of the immense sacrifices our service members are making each day, and their astonishing ability to soar even after the greatest adversity.

Related Sites: AFPS Family Matters Blog Family Matters on Facebook  Family Matters on Twitter

Now there can be no more excuses for inaction or delays

Amnesty International Urges Human Rights Council to Take Opportunity for Action in Sri Lanka

Washington, DC: In reaction to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s transmission of the findings of his expert panel’s report on Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council, Amnesty International said:

"For months we have been waiting for the report’s findings to be presented to the Human Rights Council. Now there can be no more excuses for inaction or delays," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director.

The panel of experts report, made public in April 2011, found "credible allegations" of war crimes and crimes against humanity by all sides to the Sri Lankan conflict.

"The panel of experts produced a strong, credible report - for the first time an international body acknowledged the extent of human rights abuses committed in the last days of Sri Lanka’s brutal conflict, when at least 10,000 civilians were killed," said Zarifi. "It’s time for the Human Rights Council to act on the panel of expert’s findings and hold those responsible for massive atrocities in Sri Lanka to account. The thousands of victims have waited long enough."

Amnesty International also reminded the Human Rights Council of ongoing human rights abuses the organization has documented in Sri Lanka since the conflict ended in 2009. These include lack of humanitarian access to displaced communities, lack of consultation with communities in the resettlement process, and threats to media freedoms.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

# # # 

Nursing conference attended by more than 300 delegates

Ludhiana, 10^th September,  Haematology, Oncology and Bone marrow transplantation services are at a turning point in our country with increasing number of patients requiring the need for these services.  With a projected increase in chronic diseases in India and increasing life span, patients with these diseases are on the rise.

The caregiver at the bedside has a very important role in the outcome of cancer patients. On this behalf Christian Medical College, Ludhiana conducted a unique national conference for the nurses and physician assistants working in the field of cancer and bone marrow transplantation. This is the first time in this region such a conference is held on the theme ‘Importance of Nursing care’focusing on ‘Quality, Competency and Research’.

This was attended by more than 300  delegates from 10 different states of the country and 25 different institutions.

The meeting was inaugurated by the Chief guest Dr Kim.J.Mammen and Dr Kunal Jain gave the welcome speech.

While Mrs Abanti Gopan from Kolkota spoke about quality in nursing care, Ms Swapna Joshi from TMH Mumbai, detailed on how to go about research in nursing care and Dr M Joseph John from CMC Ludhiana mentioned clinician’s view point on nursing care and emphasized that Indian nurses can be as good or better than nurses from abroad by giving adequate training more responsibility.

Ms Jyoti Sahni from PGI, Chandigarh talked about the infection control in specialized units and Ms Joylen Jonahs from Pune explained the details of managing central lines.  Mrs Selva Titus from Vellore expounded on the importance of filtration technology in Haematology-Oncology and transplant units to reduce the incidence of infections.

Ms Anita Desouza from Mumbai gave the details of maintaining a clean environment for BMT and leukemia units and Ms Margaret from Vellore gave the details of stem cell handling. Ms Deepshika Gupta from Ludhiana mentioned about the ways to prevent and manage extravasations.

Post lunch there were panel discussions on training avenues for nurses and physician assistants, attrition among nurses, optimal manpower in a specialized unit and maintaining interpersonal relationships in a unit. This was followed by quiz for the audience and organizing secretary Dr M Joseph John gave the vote of thanks.

Theatre Workshop For Working Proffessionals tomorrow

The Asmita weekend theatre workshop, conceptualised by Mr Arvind Gaur Director Asmita theatre group, is the first of its kind. This workshop provides working professionals a platform to pursue theatre on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The uniqunes of this workshop lies in the selection of its content, chosen to study contemporary acting. Socio-political issues become a subject of discussions, improvisations and script reading.Voice and speech work, quintessential in acting are taught by means of physical exercises, street plays and monolouges.
15 years of knowledge and experience of Asmita Theatre Group is carefully filtered into the minds of students by the senior most actors of Asmita, under the critical guidance of Mr. Arvind Gaur.
Finally the three month workshop culminates in a public production.
"Kharashe" a play based on short stories by Gulzar was performed by the second batch of Asmita Weekend Theatre Workshop at I.H.C on the 26th and 27th of july.A comprehensive documentation of this play is available at the Asmita Weekend Theatre Group on Facebook.

For More Details Contact: Shiv Chauhan-9958793683,Shilpi Marwaha-9540656537, Arvind Gaur-9899650509