News / Author / Robert Abraham

Robert Abraham

Robert Abraham is a staff correspondent with the Hindustan Times in Chandigarh. He keeps readers updated on the latest developments in the world of health.

Articles by Robert Abraham

Ludhiana residents fume at delay in getting driving licences, RC books

The issue of delayed issuance of RCs and driving licenses is not limited to Ludhiana alone but is a widespread problem across the entire state

Locals outside RTO waiting for driving licences and RC in Ludhiana on Saturday. (HT photo)

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Published on Feb 26, 2023 10:35 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

NGOs shut illegal medicine stalls at Ludhiana civil hospital

For the past 10-15 days, the NGOs had been operating without permission from the hospital authorities and dispensing medicines to patients within the Ludhiana civil hospital premises

NGOs that were brazenly operating within the confines of the Ludhiana civil hospital, dispensing medicines to patients without any legal authorisation, have finally packed up their stalls and left the premises. (HT Photo)

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Published on Feb 25, 2023 11:36 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

NGOs illegally distributing medicine inside Ludhiana civil hospital

It has been noticed that for the past 10-15 days, several NGOs have set up full-fledged stalls and have been illegally distributing medicines to people within the premises of Ludhiana civil hospital

In the name of public service, NGOs were distributing medicines illegally inside Ludhiana civil hospital on Thursday. (HT Photo)

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Published on Feb 24, 2023 01:28 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Lack of manpower renders Ludhiana civil hospital ICU non-functional

Patients who require ICU care are being redirected to either the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh or Rajindra Hospital in Patiala

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Published on Feb 19, 2023 01:09 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Locals feel the pinch as RTA office in Ludhiana struggles with staff crunch

The lack of personnel at the RTA office is causing inconvenience and frustration among the public, who have to stand in long queues and wait for hours even to get something as simple as a duplicate copy of their registration certificate

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Published on Feb 19, 2023 12:54 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Wheels come off of Punjab Roadways’ buses at Ludhiana depot amid fund crunch

Two buses at the Ludhiana depot await availability of new tyres, while another 12-13 need spare parts

At least a dozen Punjab Roadways buses are currently awaiting maintenance at the Ludhiana depot. (HT Photo)

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Published on Feb 18, 2023 02:31 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Over 25 ambulances await resuscitation in Ludhiana

Despite the ever-increasing requirement for ambulances to cater to the population of the entire district, around 28-29 non-operational ambulances remain stationed at different locations.

Of the total ambulances, 10 have been gathering dust at the premises of the civil hospital itself for the past three years. (Girpreet Singh/HT)

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Published on Feb 13, 2023 02:18 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana consumer forum directs eatery to refund service charges

With service charges, Ludhiana consumer forum also directed the restaurant to pay compensation of ₹10,000 to complainant Neeraj Kumar

Ludhiana consumer disputes redressal commission has directed a food outlet to refund <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>1,182.76 to Ludhiana complainant along with compensation of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>10,000 for forcefully demanding service charges on a total bill of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>13,999. (Getty Images/Purestock)

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Published on Feb 09, 2023 11:17 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Docs off to VVIP event, patients suffer

Orthopaedic doctors, medicine physicians and general surgeons were on VVIP duty and an ENT specialist doctor took leave; Ludhiana civil hospital has an OPD of around 1,300 patients daily

The rush of patients outside the OPD at the civil hospital, Ludhiana on Monday. (Getty images)

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Published on Feb 07, 2023 12:00 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana autorickshaw union to create online database

The District Auto Rickshaw Workers Federation said they will be setting up an online database of auto drivers, distributing token numbers and launching a helpline number for the same

A helpline number was also launched to help passengers in Ludhiana to retrieve forgotten items or raise complaints. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

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Published on Feb 05, 2023 02:48 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Severe staff crunch cripples civil hospital, patients bear the brunt

Civil Hospital in Ludhiana is struggling with a severe shortage of staff, including both doctors and support staff like nurses and Class IV employees. Despite being a 300-bed facility, the hospital is facing a major shortage of regular staff against the sanctioned posts

Patients queue outside the OPD of the civil hospital in Ludhiana on Saturday.The hospital is struggling with a severe shortage of staff. (HT Photo)

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Published on Feb 04, 2023 11:09 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

CFOSE 2023: E-vehicle steal the show at expo in Ludhiana

Seeing the upcoming era of electric vehicles, many companies are focusing on e-bikes and e-bicycles in the exhibition and this has made the e-vehicle manufacturers expecting orders from the dealers

E-bikes and bicycles drawing the attention of visitors at the 13th edition of CFOSE 2023 in Ludhiana on Friday. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

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Published on Feb 03, 2023 11:57 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana consumer forum directs car insurance firm to pay ₹ 96,000

The complainant got his car repaired from the authorised dealer of Toyota at Jalandhar and after repair an invoice for ₹1,31,525 was raised, which was paid by him despite the fact that the vehicle was insured during the relevant period and it was also intimated to the car insurance firm

The district consumer disputes redressal forum directed an insurance firm to pay <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>81,275.77 after finding that the company did not settle the complainant’s claim (Getty Images)

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Published on Feb 01, 2023 10:49 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Union Budget: Middle class cheers, pensioners disappointed

Pensioners and senior citizens feel disappointed by the provisions in the budget, they said that 90 percent of people are using the old tax regime and all the benefits have been given to the new tax regime

Entrepreneurs watching the live Union budget session 2023-24 in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

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Published on Feb 01, 2023 10:42 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana civil hospital staff await December salary

Ludhiana civil hospital receives approximately ₹21 lakh in user charges from its emergency ward and these funds are used to pay the salaries of around 100 employees

The government of Punjab, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has directed the Ludhiana civil hospital to submit 50% of the user charges from December and 100% of the charges from January. (HT Photo)

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Published on Jan 27, 2023 11:43 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Bar association polls challenged; returning officer summoned

In a plea before the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, advocate Naval Kishore Chibber alleged that 1,000 lawyers were presented whiskey bottles and were invited to a party at a hotel owned by newly elected DBA president Chetan Verma two days before the bar association polls

Barely two weeks after president of the District Bar Association (DBA) was appointed, the much-hyped polls of the largest body of lawyers in Punjab have been challenged by an advocate, alleging that it was not conducted in a fair manner as voters were influenced with liquor two days before the polls. (HT Photo)

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Updated on Jan 26, 2023 12:05 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Meant to be pruned, 12 tress cut at civil hospital

The civil hospital’s senior medical officer Amarjit Kaur said, “ Permission was only granted for pruning the trees, not cutting them down. We usually only allow the cutting of old tree branches to prevent accidents”

One of the trees that was cut in civil hospital in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

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Published on Jan 25, 2023 11:19 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Manpreet Badal is a seasoned politician: Hardeep Puri

Petroleum minister Hardeep Puri on Friday said Manpreet Singh Badal, the latest entrant from the Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was a mature and seasoned politician.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri handed over appointment letters to new appointees in various central government departments during Rozgar Mela in Ludhiana on Friday(Photo by Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times)

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Published on Jan 20, 2023 08:16 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

People have harrowing time at RTA office, Ludhiana

The condition of the RTA office in Ludhiana is worsening due to the absence of clerks, with only one present on Thursday; when people contacted the numbers mentioned on the doors, no one was available.

People visiting the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) office in Ludhiana were unable to get their work done and left disappointed on Thursday. (HT Photo)

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Published on Jan 19, 2023 11:31 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

108 ambulance employees call off strike after meeting health minister

The 108 ambulance employees association in Punjab ended their state-wide strike on Wednesday after a meeting with health minister Dr Balbir Singh.

The protesting employees were demanding that the Aam Aadmi Party government take back the control of the service from the private company, Ziqitza Healthcare Limited , operating the 325 ambulances. (HT file photo)

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Published on Jan 18, 2023 11:51 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

108 Ambulance strike continues; govt offers talks

The employee’s union is sticking to its demand that the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state take back control of the service from the private company Ziqitza Health Care Limited operating the 325 ambulances

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Published on Jan 18, 2023 12:57 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Body Swap Case: Final report submitted to civil surgeon

Both employees, who were responsible for tagging dead bodies, have already been shifted from the mortuary by the hospital administration

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Updated on Jan 18, 2023 12:03 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

108 ambulance service off road: Employees’ strike continues, operator to hire new staff

The indefinite strike by Punjab’s 108 Ambulance Employees’ Association continued for the sixth consecutive day on Monday at the Ladhowal toll plaza.

108 Ambulance Employees Association, Punjab staged protest at Ladowal toll plaza in Ludhiana on Monday.(Photo Hindustan Times) (HT photo)

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Published on Jan 17, 2023 12:02 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham

Ludhiana: Taxi operators oppose Punjab govt’s new vehicle scrapping policy

Taxi operators in Ludhiana are opposing the policy claiming that it will only benefit corporates by providing them licence for vehicle testing centres and scrap centres in the state

Under this policy, vehicle owners will have the option to bring their cars to scrap dealers empanelled by a state-established authority. In return, apart from the scrap value of the vehicles, they will also get a rebate of 15 to 25% in road tax for purchasing a new vehicle,” said state transport commissioner . (HT FILE PHOTO)

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Published on Jan 14, 2023 11:55 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

PSPCL penalised for not resolving Ludhiana resident’s plaint on inflated bill

The forum, headed by president Sanjeev Batra, directed the PSPCL to redress the grievance of the Ludhiana complainant regarding the bill dated August 03, 2018, by applying relevant provisions of the Supply Code and to remit the excess amount received from the complainant, if any, within 30 days

The forum further stated that Ludhiana complainant’s grievance was required to be redressed promptly when he had deposited the entire amount of the disputed bill. There is an inordinate delay in deciding the grievance of the complainant which also amounts to a deficiency in service on the part of PSPCL. (HT FILE PHOTO)

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Published on Jan 14, 2023 11:42 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Private ambulances overcharging, allege patients; operators deny charge

As Punjab’s 108 Ambulance Employees Association stir entered day 2, complaints about private ambulance operators overcharging patients are on the rise

The 108 Ambulance Employees Association, Punjab, staging a protest at Ladowal toll plaza in Ludhiana on Friday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

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Published on Jan 14, 2023 01:19 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham and Jaspreet Singh, Ludhiana/patiala

Punjab’s 108 ambulance union strike continues, company issues notice

Employees ignore Punjab health minister’s appeal, adamant on meeting CM with demand to take back control of service from private company

The indefinite strike by Punjab’s 108 Ambulance Employees Association entered the second day on Friday. The protesting ambulance drivers are demanding that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government take back control of the service from the company. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

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Published on Jan 13, 2023 04:21 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham

Over 300 ambulances go off road in Punjab, patients left high & dry

The protesting ambulance employees want AAP government in Punjab to take back control of the 325 ambulances from private company, seek pay hike and better working conditions; there are 325 ambulances of 108 service in the state

The protesting employees parked more than 300 ambulances at the Ladhowal toll plaza in Ludhiana, claiming that the private company is not giving them fair wages. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

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Published on Jan 13, 2023 12:42 AM IST

ByRobert Abraham & Jaspreet Singh, Ludhiana/patiala

Ludhiana residents to shell out more for kites this Lohri

Due to an increase in the cost of raw materials, Ludhiana residents in the city will have to spend more to buy kites on this Lohri festival

Meanwhile, kites with photographs of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala are trending the most and are seen at every shop in Ludhiana this Lohri. (HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Jan 12, 2023 11:04 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

Christian family accuses church of refusing burial land to man

Ramesh Raman, secretary of the Church, dismissed the accusations, saying “Ashraf’s membership with the church was suspended in 2018 by then secretary Amron Gill after he acquired the church land in front of his house in Issa Nagar.”

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Published on Jan 11, 2023 11:39 PM IST

ByRobert Abraham, Ludhiana

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Robert Abraham

Robert Abraham is a staff correspondent with the Hindustan Times in Chandigarh. He keeps readers updated on the latest developments in the world of health.

The issue of delayed issuance of RCs and driving licenses is not limited to Ludhiana alone but is a widespread problem across the entire state

For the past 10-15 days, the NGOs had been operating without permission from the hospital authorities and dispensing medicines to patients within the Ludhiana civil hospital premises

It has been noticed that for the past 10-15 days, several NGOs have set up full-fledged stalls and have been illegally distributing medicines to people within the premises of Ludhiana civil hospital

Patients who require ICU care are being redirected to either the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh or Rajindra Hospital in Patiala

The lack of personnel at the RTA office is causing inconvenience and frustration among the public, who have to stand in long queues and wait for hours even to get something as simple as a duplicate copy of their registration certificate

Two buses at the Ludhiana depot await availability of new tyres, while another 12-13 need spare parts

Despite the ever-increasing requirement for ambulances to cater to the population of the entire district, around 28-29 non-operational ambulances remain stationed at different locations.

With service charges, Ludhiana consumer forum also directed the restaurant to pay compensation of ₹10,000 to complainant Neeraj Kumar

Orthopaedic doctors, medicine physicians and general surgeons were on VVIP duty and an ENT specialist doctor took leave; Ludhiana civil hospital has an OPD of around 1,300 patients daily

The District Auto Rickshaw Workers Federation said they will be setting up an online database of auto drivers, distributing token numbers and launching a helpline number for the same

Civil Hospital in Ludhiana is struggling with a severe shortage of staff, including both doctors and support staff like nurses and Class IV employees. Despite being a 300-bed facility, the hospital is facing a major shortage of regular staff against the sanctioned posts

Seeing the upcoming era of electric vehicles, many companies are focusing on e-bikes and e-bicycles in the exhibition and this has made the e-vehicle manufacturers expecting orders from the dealers

The complainant got his car repaired from the authorised dealer of Toyota at Jalandhar and after repair an invoice for ₹1,31,525 was raised, which was paid by him despite the fact that the vehicle was insured during the relevant period and it was also intimated to the car insurance firm

Pensioners and senior citizens feel disappointed by the provisions in the budget, they said that 90 percent of people are using the old tax regime and all the benefits have been given to the new tax regime

Ludhiana civil hospital receives approximately ₹21 lakh in user charges from its emergency ward and these funds are used to pay the salaries of around 100 employees

In a plea before the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, advocate Naval Kishore Chibber alleged that 1,000 lawyers were presented whiskey bottles and were invited to a party at a hotel owned by newly elected DBA president Chetan Verma two days before the bar association polls

The civil hospital’s senior medical officer Amarjit Kaur said, “ Permission was only granted for pruning the trees, not cutting them down. We usually only allow the cutting of old tree branches to prevent accidents”

Petroleum minister Hardeep Puri on Friday said Manpreet Singh Badal, the latest entrant from the Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was a mature and seasoned politician.

The condition of the RTA office in Ludhiana is worsening due to the absence of clerks, with only one present on Thursday; when people contacted the numbers mentioned on the doors, no one was available.

The 108 ambulance employees association in Punjab ended their state-wide strike on Wednesday after a meeting with health minister Dr Balbir Singh.

The employee’s union is sticking to its demand that the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state take back control of the service from the private company Ziqitza Health Care Limited operating the 325 ambulances

Both employees, who were responsible for tagging dead bodies, have already been shifted from the mortuary by the hospital administration

The indefinite strike by Punjab’s 108 Ambulance Employees’ Association continued for the sixth consecutive day on Monday at the Ladhowal toll plaza.

Taxi operators in Ludhiana are opposing the policy claiming that it will only benefit corporates by providing them licence for vehicle testing centres and scrap centres in the state

The forum, headed by president Sanjeev Batra, directed the PSPCL to redress the grievance of the Ludhiana complainant regarding the bill dated August 03, 2018, by applying relevant provisions of the Supply Code and to remit the excess amount received from the complainant, if any, within 30 days

As Punjab’s 108 Ambulance Employees Association stir entered day 2, complaints about private ambulance operators overcharging patients are on the rise

Employees ignore Punjab health minister’s appeal, adamant on meeting CM with demand to take back control of service from private company

The protesting ambulance employees want AAP government in Punjab to take back control of the 325 ambulances from private company, seek pay hike and better working conditions; there are 325 ambulances of 108 service in the state

Due to an increase in the cost of raw materials, Ludhiana residents in the city will have to spend more to buy kites on this Lohri festival

Ramesh Raman, secretary of the Church, dismissed the accusations, saying “Ashraf’s membership with the church was suspended in 2018 by then secretary Amron Gill after he acquired the church land in front of his house in Issa Nagar.”

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