MYH?s loss is local resident?s gain

THE LOSS of one is the gain for another, as is proved in the case of Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Hospital (MYH) administration spurning cow milk from the only source of pure Kuttch breed being made available to patients by Kasturba Gram National Memorial Trust (KGNMT) from over half a century.

THE LOSS of one is the gain for another, as is proved in the case of Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Hospital (MYH) administration spurning cow milk from the only source of pure Kuttch breed being made available to patients by Kasturba Gram National Memorial Trust (KGNMT) from over half a century.

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KGNMT which faced the problem of disposing the milk, has hit upon the idea of turning it into clarified butter (ghee), which the knowledgeable are more than willing to purchase even at an exorbitant rate of Rs 300/Kg.

According to the KGNMT dairy in-charge Shiv Bahadur Singh, reveredly called ‘Guruji’, MYH broke the tradition of ‘gau shala’ supplying milk to the patients. The intake of milk supplied by them had been reduced over the years from 240 litre/day to 70 litre/day and finally had been stopped from May 2 following MYH Superintendent Dr DK Jain’s letter informing about termination of service contract.

The letter citied earlier objections taken by the MYH mess in-charge Shaymlal Dave of inferior quality milk being supplied and of no action being taken on the part of KGNMT secretary despite reminders leading to the termination of service contract.

This despite the fact that the ‘gau shala’ is probably one of the few outside Gujarat having a pure breed of Kuttch cows whose milk is known for its high therapeutic and nourishment value best suited for convalescing patients.

The demand for milk and other by-products can be gauged from the fact that people from the city vie with each other to purchase them and are often seen making a trip on weekdays to KGNMT situated quite a distance away from the city on the Khandwa Road to purchase the same.

The MYH administration has not only stopped its milk intake but also wrote a letter to Chacha Nehru Children’s Hospital functioning under its wing to stop purchase of milk from the ‘gaushala’. Till recently 70 litre milk in the morning and 60 litre in the evening was being supplied to MYH along with 15 litre daily to the Children’s hospital.

This situation arose due to Dave making reasons as mundane as the tractor known as the ‘old faithful’ supplying milk from over 40 years to the mixing of some milk from local farmers to maintain the stipulated quantity a reason for contract termination.

Guruji told Hindustan Times that as no external means including mechanised milking, injections and steroids were used. The production of milk was left totally to the vagaries of nature as a result of which daily production varied. However, as a contract for supplying a stipulated quantity of milk had been signed, due to obvious reasons of calculating convenience, sometimes milk was purchased from a village diary owner Daulat Gaud of Kartal village.

KGNMT following an old practice got their milk and any milk purchased from outside checked for quality at Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) testing centres and a receipt for the same was attached accordingly.

Recently the milk supplied by Gaud was found to be of inferior quality which is seen as a reason fit enough by Dave to stop milk supply.

Furthermore, MYH citing reference of its earlier letter on March 27 asked them to comply with the revised rates issued by the Manglia dairy. The dairy had issued conflicting rates on an unsigned circular announcing Rs 15/ltr along with 0.25 paise as transport charge issued on February 3 and Rs 14.20 without mention of transport cost on a circular issued on May one backdated to February five.

Resultantly the ‘gau shala’ left with about 100 litre milk/day sent 15ltrs to the children’s hospital apart from about 12 litre/day supplied to regular customers in the city and 12 litre/day to local residents in and around KGNMT.

Hence, about 60ltr of clarified butter (Chhach) is produced daily while eight to 10kgs ghee is produced once a week. The ghee having a high therapeutic value is in great demand by Ayurved practitioners and those who know its use in several medical remedies because of which the product has a long waiting list.