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| Tuesday, June 13, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Commercialisation at the cost of LUDHIANA, June 12 — Giving a go-bye to all medical ethics, the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital
(DMCH) appears to be going for crass commercialisation instead of providing medical service to the people. A circular issued by the Principal, Dr S.C.
Ahuja, on March 16, 2000, lists shocking directions to the doctors which range from offering them commission on the number of patients referred to the hospital by them up to ensuring the occupancy rate in the hospital above 80 per
cent. DMCH is one of the few hospitals which allows private practice to its doctors . This is done in compensation to relatively poor pay scales and other service benefits. However, several conditions are being laid down for the practising doctors. The circular unabashedly mentions on record that doctors will be provided due share for the cases and tests they refer to the hospital. The clause 18 of the same circular says: “In cases referred by the consultants from their homes/private clinics only for investigations (through patient service cell), and having a printed name slip of the consultant duly signed by him/her, will carry a share 20% of the charges. In cases sent to the hospital for admission, this share shall will apply only to the initial investigations duly mentioned by the consultant on his/her slip”. Obviously with a purpose to encourage doctors to advise more investigations and tests, according to the clause 12 b of the circular, “for all laboratories like pathology, microbiology and biochemistry, the share will be 3.5%, where as for Radio-Diagnosis
Deptt. it will be 5.5% on all charges pertaining to X-Ray-C.T-Ultra-sound etc”. In the same context according to the clause 15 of the circular, “12.5% of the charges is allowed as a share on all tests, procedures and operations etc. carried out as OPD procedures and also for specified procedures done in the Wards”. The doctors will have to ensure that the bed occupancy and the number of OPD patients is also maintained fairly at a better level. The clause 24 of the circular says: “The bed occupancy, as laid down by M.C.I has to be maintained at 805 of the sanctioned bed strength. this figure of 80% if altered by the
M.C.I./management of DMC at a later date, the same shall have to be adhered to. It is also mandatory to maintain the daily O.P.D at a minimum of 40 patients per day in each
specialty by the consultants of that specialty and 25 patients per day in each
super-specialty by the super-specialists of that Department/Unit”. This is not without an incentive. The clause 12 a takes care of this, which says, “consultants will be allowed a share 10% from Private and 15% from General Ward patients admitted by them except visiting and paying claiming fee”. In the DMCH there are two categories of patients — general ward patients and private ward patients. The fee for the private ward patients is much higher. The clause 7 of the circular says: “For all investigation, private ward patients should be given preference”. In a separate circular issued in the month of April this year, the doctors have been asked to look into and correct the decreasing number of patients in the hospital. The circular says, “the statistical statement for the month of March 2000 as compared to March 1999 presents a very discouraging picture and needs to be looked into and corrected immediately”. The circular also carries the table, which gives the number of declining tally in regard to admissions and operations. While cautioning against flouting the clauses of the circular, the clause 22 spells out? “All promotions, selections, continuation in service and appointments or continuation there-of shall be subject to the meticulous observance of all the terms and conditions mentioned here-in or/and else-where”. A few doctors have reportedly been served warnings for flouting these guidelines. The Principal of the college, S.C.
Ahuja, refused any comment saying: “it is the internal matter of the college and I need not make any comment”. |
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Extend medical facilities to villages: DC
Speaking after inaugurating the fifth rural branch of Guru Tegh Bahadur Charitable Hospital at Budhewal village, about 25 km from here, Mr Sandhu said keeping in view the rising expenditure on treatment of major ailments, the poor people were devoid of these facilities. He said the role of charitable institutions had become important. This branch has been set up in memory of Gurdev Kaur Garewal, mother of an NRI, Mr Gurdip Singh Garewal, who is presently living in the USA. The village panchayat has provided the panchayat building to the hospital management and the Budhewal Sugar Mills has provided residential facilities to the permanent doctor of this branch. Mr Sandhu said the hospitals running in Ludhiana city should adopt large centrally located villages in the remote areas to provide medical services to the weaker sections and serve the suffering humanity. He suggested that the traditional Indian medical system and nature care should also be encouraged along with the allopathic treatment. The Deputy Commissioner said Budhewal would further be developed and the environment improved. He asked the management of the Budhewal Sugar Mills to adopt the link road from the Chandigarh road to Budhewal and raise ornamental plants on both sides of the road. Speaking on the occasion, Bakshi Mohinder Singh, president, Guru Tegh Bahadar Charitable Hospital, informed that Mr Gurdip
Singh had assured to arrange the maximum funds for improving the facilities in the hospital, besides hiring the services of expert doctors. Mr Gurdip Singh hails from this village
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Increase sphere of supplement You had given wide publicity to the proposed advent of your Ludhiana supplement with effect from June 1. We were very happy in the hope of getting detailed news of our district headquarters. But you have utterly disappointed us by limiting your supplement to only the agents of Ludhiana proper. Our town, Mandi Mullanpur Dakha, has come to be known as a suburb of the city. It will therefore be proper if the new supplement is supplied to the agents of this place as well. This will surely boost your sales, besides being a matter of great satisfaction for old readers. I hope you will certainly think of widening the area of Ludhiana supplement at the earliest. G. S. Toor College Road, Mandi Mullanpur Window on Ludhiana I am happy that now with the advent of Ludhiana Tribune, the whole of Ludhiana district will become transparent, with a window to the Ludhianvis to peep through it daily happenings quite extensively in every nook and corner. It will serve as a potent mouth-piece to highlight public problems and grievances in the larger interest for speedy mitigation. As a matter of fact, such was the long felt need of the residents in general, though the Tribune Trust was rendering a yeoman’s service in the northern zone through its group of publications in a fair, unbiased, secular and undaunting manner. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Tribune management and its field staff for airing the grievances of the senior citizens, including the pensioners and family pensioners, quite prominently from time to time. My family is highly indebted to the Dyal Singh Majithia Trust, as my father, Mr Faqir Chand Kaushal, a nonagenarian, has been working as a sole Mukhtiar-a-am for the past 53 years. His services are still lauded by the Dyal Singh College Trust Society, Karnal. On my behalf and on behalf of the Punjab Pensioners/Family Pensioners, I wish the Ludhiana Tribune management and its field staff every success. B. R. Kaushal State President Punjab State Pensioners Confederation. Amend PUDA brochure I would like to bring to your kind attention towards the following facts. First, brochure worth Rs 10 is being sold for Rs 100. Plots at government price should be given at concessional rates, whereas for Rs 3,264 per sq yd anybody can buy the same at the present market rates from any one in Phases I, II and III. In my
opinion, draw should be held after a month or so. There is no need for delaying the draw and refund should be made within a week after the draw. The public should not lose interest on their hard-earned money. Your office is utilising the public money without any solid reasons. The earnest money should be accepted by means of payee a/c cheques, whereas one has to shed draft/PO commission unnecessarily. I will also appreciate if persons outside Ludhiana get their refund from the branch where they have deposited the application form with earnest money, so that one does not pay additional bank charges to the tune of Rs 150 (collection charges f rom Ludhiana Union Bank) and further 2 to 3 weeks collection time can be saved. The draw should be fair and transparent. In view of the above, we request you to give a serious thought to these irregularities and amend Puda brouchure instructions accordingly. It has been noticed from the same that all the clauses have been made in the interest of department only and no care has been taken for the interest of the public. Sudarshan Nayyer
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Cong unit mourns Pilot's death LUDHAINA: A meeting of the Congress Doctors' Cell of Ludhiana was held at Chowk Division No. 3 here which was headed by Dr Banarsi Dass Malhotra. Persons at the meeting mourned the death of Rajesh Pilot in Rajasthan on Sunday. A number of doctors, Congress workers, women activists and shopkeepers took part in it. Mr Jai Parkash, Youth Congress leader, besides Dr S.K. Vohra, Dr Mohan Singh and Prof Som Parkash spoke at this condolence meeting. A former speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr Harnam Dass Johar, also mourned the death of Rajesh Pilot. In a statement issued here on Monday, he said that with his death, the country and the Congress had suffered an irreparable loss. — TNS
Painting contest on Sikh symbols LUDHAINA: The Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, BRS Nagar, E-Block, here, will organise an on-the-spot painting competition on Sikh Symbols and Historical Symbols on Friday. According to Mr Jasbir Singh Walia, President of the sabha, children in the age groups of under-12, under-15 and under-17 were eligible to participate in it. He said winners would be given attractive prizes by the Sikh Intellectual Council. — FOC
Katha, kirtan planned for Gurpurb LUDHAINA: The Gurpurb of Sri Guru Hargobind will be observed by the Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, BRS Nagar, E-Block, here, on Saturday. The General Secretary of the sabha, Mr Gurbaksh Singh Bhatia, said renowned dhadi jatha of Jagdish Singh, besides raagi jathas of Bhai Sucha Singh, Bhai Lakhwinder Singh and Bhai Jodhvir Singh, would recite katha and kirtan on this occasion. — FOC |
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