News Kashmir Magazine

Dear NEET aspirants!!!
Owais Ahmad Shah

As you know that results have been declared.Your reading room has turned into a veritable jungle.Those who have made it are walking on the air and those who have not are carrying a vacant expression in their faces,crestfallen.Just relax,stay lose and composed.Turn back your clock,in the recent past you have hammered away at this examination.You gave everything to make your dream come true.Celebrate this failure and it will open new doors of success for you.Today you have to compete with the aspirants of other states.During the days of JKCET,a student would bear in his mind that he has to compete with the aspirants of his own state but the new age medical professionalism has broadened the horizons and put over this capital idea just like IAS,where participants of all states push ahead to crack the exams.
You have the necessary detachment,participate in career counselling programmes.Your only goal should not be to read the stuff and crack the exams but you must go beyond this phenomenon.
The profession of medical science is not only about identity attachment but it is about social work,it is about taking care and finding new measures of curacy.
At last let me try to make you feel relaxed about the exams.As you know,in every exam,we see success stories as well as failures.People who pass exams with flying colours are appreciated,recognized for their feat but the people who fail the exams are crestfallen,they bite their lips.
The next year NEET exams will also have success stories who will take the centre stage and as well as failures who will be in background.This year you have not made it to NEET and you should not burden yourselves with miseries but you should pin faith in your confidence for the next exams.You must have well prepared your notes for NEET exams and now you need to stay lose and do any other work.Start studying higher education and frame a time table for NEET studies.I know you will go to the whole nine yards.When you have done your first coaching,stop doing anyother coaching because it will have an adverse affect on the early coaching.Start self-studying,take advice of NEET pass outs and participate in career counselling programmes.The best bet would be to start a new chapter in NEET exams.
Today horizon of career is not limited to few fields but scores of fields.
The writer is Student at GDC Handwara.

The Brand Name Drugs – Versus Generic.

Written by: Gowher Bhat

Arshid Ahmad owned a farm in the Kashmir valley and struggled with his wife to get by with expenses. He fathered and raised two children who are grown and on their own. When his wife Gulshan Akther got sick, he brought her to a government hospital. The doctor told him that Gulshan had high blood pressure, and she needs to take medication for the rest of her life. He gave Arshid Ahmad the prescription, and he went to the drug store to have the prescription filled. The price was so high that Arshid Ahmad could not afford to pay. When he went home, he sold some of his valuables to get enough money to buy the drugs for his wife. He loved her very much and could not think of living his life without her. He purchased the medication, but it was only for thirty days. There was no way he could continue to pay the price for the drugs every month. When he went back, he asked the doctor if he could prescribe another medication. The doctor prescribed another drug, but still, when Arshid Ahmad went to buy it, the price was a little lower but expensive. The doctor said it was the only medication that would help his wife, and she had to keep taking it; otherwise, she will die. After six months, Arshid Ahmad could not afford this medication any longer. So his wife took the pills every couple of days to save money and make the pills last longer. A year later, Gulshan had a stroke and passed away because her blood pressure was out of control. Later on, Arshid found out that the medication his wife was taking was available as a generic drug which was 80% cheaper than the brand-name drug his wife received. He is very bitter and blamed the doctor for killing his wife because he did not tell him that he could get the inexpensive brand, which gave the same result.
Arshid is not the only one who suffered a loss from this practice. Doctors are not honest with patients, and pharmaceutical companies are selling their brand-name medications by enticing doctors with expensive gifts. When the marketing representatives visit doctors or telephone’s them, they make a deal, that’s referred to as a kickback. These gifts range from luxurious vehicles, credit cards for shopping, arranging family trips, cash, and even kitchen items. All the doctors have to do is prescribe their drug to the patients instead of the generic. Kashmiris are facing problems and suffering the consequences of these practices because there is no genuine concern for patients’ well-being. The majority of the people in Kashmir belong to lower-middle-class families, and when they fall sick, they can’t afford treatment and the costly medication to get well.
People need education about generic drugs. It’s known to be equivalent to the brand name in dosages, strengths, route of administrations, quality, safety, performance, and intended use. Generic drugs are 80 – 90% less costly than brand-name drugs.
I had an interaction with patients who fell, victim. One person told me that his daughter got sick; the doctor prescribed a name brand drug. He had to go into debt to pay for the medication.
Another lady said the doctor prescribed her a lot of costly medications, and she mentioned to the doctor about generic brands. He told her to shut up about that; they were not as good.
I then took my interview to another hospital, and there were dozens of marketing representatives with big shopping bags, waiting to see the doctors. I interacted with one of them, and asked him many questions like why are you here? He said he wanted to make a sale and showed me the list of medications they sell and what reward the doctor would receive if he prescribed one of them.
Dr. Nisar ul Hassan confirmed what I’m writing. He said, “that brand-name drugs are preventing affordable generic drugs from reaching the low-income families.” He also added, “doctors prescribe expensive brand-name drugs knowing the cheaper version is available. These expensive drugs prescribed to gullible patients and doctors are becoming drug mafias. Clinicians are fed up also and are bred by pharmaceutical companies for pushing patients to purchase branded drugs. The whole thing is an unholy practice and misleading the public by giving false information. The use of generic drugs has increased at a snail’s pace in Kashmir. But Kashmiri doctors continue to dole out expensive therapies for monetary gains.”
On a personal note, I request the doctors who are turning their profession into a business and refusing to cater to the people with low incomes to stop.

They took a Hippocratic oath to cure the sick with righteousness. I’m also asking the government to crack down on these practices and pass a law to restrict doctors from robbing the sick. If something is not done, people are going to continue to die at the doctors’ expense.
I’m writing this article to put the Kashmiri people on alert, that they need to ask the doctor for other options. Fatalities are rising because patients are not able to afford to pay these prices. Again, I ask, who cares for them? Perhaps no one in the health profession, especially the pharmaceutical companies.

“News Channels have Turned into Recreation Channels”
Showkat Ahmad Dar and Zubair Ahmad

There is an Old Quote “Quality is better than Quantity” This is
something which news channels of the present era need to
understand. As the media sector is seeing cut throat
competition the news channels nowadays resort to anything
and everything they could do to fetch high TRp’s. A
Trp, as known popularly, is the target racing point for
calculation purpose. This device also known as people’s meter
judges and records the time and the programme that a viewer
watches on a particular day.
News channels have steered their wheels towards
entertainment because the just cause of real and serious
issues are not capable of catching the interests of the viewers,
thus reducing their profit. Entertainment has encroached much
space in the news channels because of the Hype, Sensational
and voyeuristic opportunities in has to offer. Competition is
also one major reason that compelled news channels to take
shape of infotainment channels. i. e telecast informative as
well as entertaining content. News channels had no option that
to spice and grayish issues with drama to vie away other
channel from their share of Trps and profit.infotainment will
remain a strong presence on news channel till the indian
viewership matures, in order to pull the maximum revenue
from the viewers.
Paid news has also became a huge source of income for news
channels. Paid news is promotion of institution, Products,
services etc that have paid for it. This is much like
advertisement. These new channels are now much concerned
about the popularity of politicians property, Popularity of daily
shops and about the celebrities personal life and than real
issues concerning the public. In the past news channels were
largely focused on hourly news bulletin comprising major
political and other news events, Human interests etc. But
nowadays news channels have moved from serious news
reporting and analysis to tabloid television, sensational
impactful and dramatic format which relies more on breaking
news of every kind rather than serious news.
Till a decade ago news channel were known for their content
editorial standards and degree of impartiality and unbiased
telecasts. But gradually news channels are covering special
programme on entertainment available just like other channels
viz Saas Bahu aur Beetiyan on Aaj tak and Saas Bahu aur
Saazish on star news. They also have special shows to catch
up with celebrities and their partying ways much like the Page
3coverage in newspapers viz shows such as “Night out” on
Ndtv.
News readers and weekly debate anchors that were also
newsreaders on week days were known as professional
television journalists working for a certain channel. As a result
of today certain channels are known by their star anchors like
arnab Swami,Barkha Dutt and Rajat sharma, to name just a
few, just as daily soaps are known by their main characters
and Tv stars that play them.
Now, the question arises that why news channels have
deviated themselves from their primary duty.? On most news
channels political,Government news was given prominence,
followed by crime/law and order.The defects should ideally be
addressed and corrected in a democratic manner. Such
irresponsible journalism should be discarded. Journalists
cannot avoid their social and moral responsibilities towards
the society.Their work demand portraying the vertical truth of
the society. So, they must not compromise with anything to
reveal the truth.

Tribute to Brother
By Umar Bashir

A beautiful garden now stands alone,
missing the one who nurtured it,
But now is gone….
weeds lay waiting to take the gardens beauty away…..
the beautiful memories of its keeper are in our hearts to stay….
a candle flickers,out of sight….
but in my heart, still burn bright..

Everytime I close my eyes to visualize….
your face when you were here….

Fills my Heart and soul with love and embraces ..
HushS me and heals me when I am very tired….

As I kiss you on your cold brow,
A last tearful glance as you’re taken away….
There is nothing anyone could do or say…
My pleas and tears won’t bring you back to me…

Did you see me gently kiss you goodbye on your cold brow,
And hear me ask how I was to continue without you now?
Did you hear the sobs and see the tears flowing from me,
Before you answered calls from across a vast eternal sea?
For I’d want you to know, before your spirit had to depart,
That you had left love’s precious gifts for a grieving heart……

….for u my BELOVED BHAI..

The Modi X-factor!!!
Owais Ahmad Shah

The recent hot off the press news about the landslide victory of BJP has taken the centre stage.What goes into this resounding victory is the fortie and knack of a terrific figure called Narendra Modi.A man of can-do and obdurate character.His charisma has worked astoundingly well for BJP to have the people in the palm of his hand.
Media has termed his victory as Tsunamo-2.0.This is not only the victory for BJP but also a strong message that has been sent across.As the pollsters had predicted for Modi thumping victory,analysts in numbers believed this theory to be wrong but the tables were turned to BJP’s side when the whole country celebrated democracy in its new avatar.
It would be fair to say that Modis enviable sureness of touch opened doors for BJPs stunning success.
Having cultivated a strong image,Modis precision and profundity has added more polish to the BJP. Till yesterday,it may have been a party that had been voted to power for a certain time but today it’s invincibility rises above Congress.It has not only supplanted the grand idea of Congress but has put down its roots too deep and has set a new challenge for tomorrow.
Multitude of people vehemently posit the argument that Modi may have failed in past for delivering all his promises that he made with the people but now the future augurs well.People have twice pinned their faith in him for changing the existing narrative of politics.
It’s stark evident that BJP has covered whole India on the platter except Tamil Nadu,Kerela where it still seems to be in its infancy but the larger part of India which determine the national politics is completely mawed in by it.
The theory of shrugging off the BJP image and sprouting up the leaves of Congress is considerably proven to be wrong and the likely demise of Congress is evident.No one would have expected before one or two months that BJP will emerge as a powerhouse but it has not only emerged but has also maintained a stronghold in Indian politics.
Congress has miserably failed and can be seen as those kids who bunk off their classes for not having done their homework.

Kashmiri Families Prefer Male Children Over Female
Writes Gowher Bhat.

Indian history and culture brought many circumstances where females were given less human rights to live than males. There are regions in Northern India, that is publicly known as ('the girl killer belt.") Even though abortion became legal in Jammu and Kashmir several decades ago, the law was passed to allow women to terminate their pregnancy safely if the condition endangered their health.
However, through the years the law was abused, and the Health Department has received statistics showing proof that there is a decline in female births, since the invention of the ultrasound. The machine can detect the sex of an unborn child in the earliest stages of pregnancy. When officials at the Health Department compared their statistics from the past years, it became apparent that for every two male babies born; there was one female birth, and the ratio of male babies was increasing.
 After investigations, they discovered women had ultrasounds to undergo sex-selective abortions. One woman admitted she terminated four female pregnancies and she will keep aborting until she gives birth to a boy. The discrimination has become so widely spread throughout India that women who deliver female babies do not want to breast-feed them after birth and abandon their girl baby at the hospital. Thousands of female newborn babies have died due to starvation and neglect in the past 20 years under the care of the parents. The 2001 census showed there were  859 girls for every 1,000 boys. The Director of Health Services in Kashmir, admits that authorities have become complacent and have not charted these activities because the ultrasound clinics had reputable reputations.
A law was passed in 1994 against sex-selection throughout India. A legislative bill called the PNDT Act (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Act). Government regional workers and officers in Kashmir worry by the uprising of foeticide that has taken place throughout the decades. Health officials in the state have taken action ordering their officers to raid suspicious ultrasound clinics, including numerous diagnostic clinics in the Kashmir Valley. There are currently over 100 ultrasound clinics that have applied for legal registration, but no data for the ones who haven't applied. The registration requirements have been set up to help keep track of activities in the clinics that are to record and report every pregnancy tests conducted.
In short, this affects India in dozens of ways, eradicating a gender causes an unbalance in society and leads to disturbing practices, like wife buying and abuse. Many Kashmiri women have suffered silently without assistance under the history of discrimination and denial. Some women angrily said, "Why bother having a girl. I'm just passing the problems onto the child. She will  go through the same."
 Kashmir appears to have been putting its own back to the wall for years by underplaying these unlawful practices of female elimination. According to the "Women News Network Article of 2011,
 "The major reason for this is the basic thinking among people and what we characterized as gender discrimination; the citizens feel that both of the sexes are not equal," said Dr. Dabler. "While as the male roles are considered desirable and preferable, women roles are considered damaging because girls undermine  their families financial status and cast."
The families in the Valley feel this way because female children cause financial burdens in the future like the Dowry System, most lower class can't afford to pay their daughter's husband and family. There's the weak  Social Security System, by having a boy assures his parents' that their son will take care of them in their elder years. 
The government of India has began educating all stakeholders. It is clearing up the public misconceptions by emphasizing that sex determination is illegal, but abortion is legal for the women who have specific medical conditions. The government is also implementing programs that seek and reduce gender discrimination, by addressing the underlying social cause of sex selection. These policies provide conditional cash transfer and scholarships only available to girls, where payments of a girl and her parents link to each stage of her life such as when she is born, completion of her childhood immunizations, her enrolling in school at grade 1, her completing school grades 6, 9 and 12, and her marriage past the  age 21. Some states are offering higher pension benefits to parents who raise one or two girls. However, on the flip side what makes all these programs ineffective is that they target only lower-income households while ignoring the population of higher income households partaking in female sex determination tests, and selective sex abortions. The stipulations are different, but selective sex abortions are proven to be higher amongst upper-class families. 
On a personal note, this is very disturbing to me. To abort a child because of gender is against morality, undermining human rights and religious beliefs.  If we keep killing the female babies, the gender will eradicate. I hope that the government enforces the law aggressively, and become forceful with their crusade with their implemented programs. Otherwise, India will be a whole different country in decades to come.