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| Latti Bus accident; Roots lie in strike against shortage of Docs, medicines | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 13: Who would have thought that a strike called by locals in Latti area of Chenani Tehsil in Udhampur district against shortage of doctors and paramedical staff would result in loss of 24 precious lives in a tragic road accident.
Latti locals were agitated over the shortage of staff and medicines in the only Primary Health Center (PHC) available in the area. They were protesting against the inability of the state health ministry in providing them adequate healthcare facilities. If the sources are to be believed, strike had been called by the local social as well as political organisations.
They had announced that there would be no movement of buses on the road from Latti to Udhampur, said the sources. They further said that locals wanted the Health Department to take steps on war-footing basis to ensure shortage of staff and medicines is addressed. They informed that strike was complete and hence, all kind of vehicular traffic between Latti and Udhampur had come to a grinding halt.
Sources said that three buses play on Udhampur-Latti route. Of these three, two had been stopped in Latti by striking organisations while the ill-fated vehicle which was on-way from Chenani to Latti was the only vehicle available for those wanting to reach Latti. Eyewitnesses told Early Times that those who were waiting for the bus boarded this ill-fated vehicle since they had no option due to the strike in Latti area against non-availability of Doctors and shortage of medicines.
Sources further said that this resulted in bus getting overloaded with passengers. They said that 42 seater bus which was going from Jakhad village to Latti had 80 passengers on-board, mostly those who had to reach Latti urgently. They further added that the bus was nowhere stopped by police or traffic police for routine checking and allowed to proceed with passengers hanging on the two doors of the bus and a good number sitting on the roof of the bus.
On reaching near Bandrasa Morh, according to the police, driver lost control over steering resulting into the accident at around 10.35 a.m. Sources said that the bus was nowhere stopped either by police or traffic officials stationed on way towards Latti. They added that drivers who overload have no fear of traffic cops stopping them and penalizing them. They care little about consequences and after getting penalised, drive without any fear of getting caught again during the day.
Official sources said that if Latti would not have observed strike, accident may not have occurred since three buses suffice the need of this area. They further say that non-availability of doctors led to strike, which ultimately resulted in one bus getting overloaded and later, driver lost the control of the overloaded bus, resulting in 24 casualties.
Despite this accident, Health ministry is yet to take effective steps towards addressing the pressing need of having adequate number of doctors in place in the far-fling areas of Udhampur and Reasi district. They are yet to wake up to the reality that strikes called by locals against shortage of medical facilities and Doctors could someday result into another major disaster. |
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