Bathinda, July 30
Chairman of the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) Jasjit Singh Thiara today conducted a surprise raid at the Civil Hospital here and expressed dissatisfaction over the cleanliness there, especially in bathrooms. “I am not satisfied with the cleanliness in the hospital,” he said.

The chairman also checked the Women and Children Hospital on the premises of the Civil Hospital. Besides, he took a round of the under-construction OPD wing.

During his one-hour visit to the hospital, he also met patients undergoing treatment in the wards of the hospital and asked them about the service they were being given by the hospital authorities. He also inspected the renovation work of the Civil Hospital building.

Interestingly, the PHSC chairman is the third top functionary of the state that visited the Civil Hospital in a fortnight. On July 17, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal along with his wife MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal raided the hospital while on July 26, Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary, Health, Punjab, visited the hospital to take stock of the situation.

Thiara warned the doctors not to ask patients to buy prescribed medicines from outside if they are available at the hospital. Strict action would be taken against the doctor found indulging in such a practice, he added. He said he was aware that some doctors prescribe medicines of those companies that gave them commission. It would not be tolerated, he added.

He said some patients today told him that they had purchased from outside the medicines that were prescribed by hospital doctors. Civil surgeon Dr Inder Dayal Goyal has been asked to check whether those medicines were available with the hospital.

He warned doctors against sending patients to get medicines, laboratory tests, X-rays and ultrasound tests outside the hospital.

When apprised that the hospital does not even have reverse osmosis (RO) water facility, Thiara instructed the civil surgeon to install RO systems on water coolers so that people could drink pure water.

He also asked him to specify timing during which doctors would attend to the medical representatives so that patients don’t face inconvenience.

Bathinda, July 30
To detect breast cancer and start its treatment at an early stage, the district health authorities organised a special camp at the Civil Hospital here today. It was the third such camp organised during this year. During these camps, besides clinical examination, mammography tests were also conducted on the women, who complained either of pain in breast or feeling a lump in breast.

Such camps also play a vital role in creating awareness among the women about the deadly disease.

Today, mammography tests were conducted on 32 women, who had come from Bathinda, Mansa and various villages, including Deon, Maur, Jeon Singh Wala and Chak Fateh Singh Wala.

After conducting clinical examination and mammography tests, doctors suspected three women to be breast cancer patients. These women have been advised fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) test to confirm if they are suffering from the disease. The test will be conducted on Monday.

Dr Gurbinder Singh, the radiologist who conducted the mammography tests, said they had conducted 124 mammography tests in routine in the Civil Hospital during the current year and 109 had been conducted at three special camps.

The radiologist said that earlier, about 30 women had been identified as suspected breast cancer cases and were advised the FNAC test.

However, they did not report back to him, so he had now made it compulsory to get the FNAC test conducted at the Civil Hospital here, he added.

At the special camps, mammography tests are conducted free of cost, for which the hospital charges Rs 100 as fee during routine days.

Bathinda, July 30
Friendship Day is just a day away and a feeling of guilt has started engulfing you as your list of friends for wishing with gifts and cards is no longer as long as it used to be in the past!

Discard the feeling as you are not alone! Economy has started influencing everything and emotion is not an exception.

"I have been compelled to be selective in wishing friends with articles. Reason is simple — price hike," a youth in Bathinda said while purchasing gifts at a shop. "It is not that others are not my friends and I will also wish them but with other means," he added. His sentiments were also echoed by his friends.

Gift items shopkeepers here also said that people are no longer generous in presenting cards and gifts also on the occasion of Friendship Day as rising prices had affected their buying behaviour. "In previous years, people had been buying several cards and gifts on occasions, including Friendship Day, but in recent past they buy limited items," said a shopkeeper. "Pockets are now deciding the number of friends," he quipped.

But for whom pocket comes next to friends, there are plenty of items for celebrating the bond. "From band to bracelets, from cards to quotations, things are numerous to express the love for friends," said Milbaran Goyal of Goyal Traders, which deals in the articles of a famous brand.

Milbaran said that bands are available in the price range of Rs 10 to Rs 1,000; there is also a bracelet which could be bought in Rs 1,100. "This is made of steel and glittering stones have been embedded on it," he added.

There is no dearth of designs, Milbaran said, adding that bands are available in over 50 designs.

"The prices of cards ranges between Rs 40 and Rs 175 depending upon size and design," Goyal said. Quotations and letters of friendship were also available in his shop.

About the enthusiasm about the Friendship Day, another shopkeeper here said that it is such an occasion, for which revellers gear up only one or two days before the day. So brisk business is expected on Friday and Saturday, he added.

About who forms a major chunk of customers, Manoj Verma of Shivam Gift House, said, that it was of course girls, teenaged girls. "The ratio of girls and boys is of 70:30," Manoj said. Manoj also said that price and availability of other means of exchanging sentiments is affecting the sale of gifts and cards.

But it is not that there is nothing to the rescue of friends who have been facing a financial crunch. Like always, technology here comes handy for the people. "With prices of gifts and cards heading north, SMS has been a good option for expressing love for friends. It's instant and easy in these testing time," said Kishan. "True friends do not go by if it is in cash or kind, but only by the kind of words," he added.

Bathinda, July 30
District and sessions judge DR Arora, deputy commissioner (DC) Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sukhchain Singh Gill inspected the Central Jail here today. They met the jail inmates and listened to their problems and grievances. They also checked the meals and got weighed the ‘chapati’ served to jail inmates. Besides, they also checked the bags of the inmates.

Talking to TNS this evening, the DC said the jail inmates told them about their problems, including undertrials facing delay in getting bail and overcrowding in the jail.

The DC admitted that the jail was overcrowded as at present, it has more than 1700 inmates against the capacity of 845. In view of this, he said he had already written to the DGP (Jails) to shift inmates to other jails in phase-wise manner.

In the first phase, at least 70 to 80 inmates should be shifted, he added.

The DC further said they had also tasted the meals that were served to the inmates. The same were found to be of good quality. He said they also got the bags of the inmates checked, but nothing incrimatory was found.

Gurkirat Kirpal Singh said the jail inmates had also demanded completion of the judicial inquiry soon, which had been ordered after the death of an undertrial.

The DC said the report, regarding inspection of the jail would be prepared by the sessions judge. Later, it would be sent to the Home Secretary, Punjab, he added.

Moga, July 30
Former MLA and general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Vijay Sathi has taken over as president of the managing committee of the DM College and DM College of Education, run by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, here on Thursday.

He was unanimously elected for this post in a state-level meeting of the sabha held at Jalandhar on Wednesday.

Fazilka, July 30
A fresh agitation was launched in this town, bordering Pakistan, by members of the local Bar Association to press the state government to accord it the status of district.

“We would fix black flags in front of our chambers first and then we would decide about the next mode of agitation,” said Shushil Gumber, president, Bar Association. He said Jiyani informed them that he would arrange a meeting of protesters either with the CM Parkash Singh Badal or Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. — TNS