The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

No doctor, no medicine! pharmacist
does the needful
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — Scores of patients visiting the civil dispensary in the Ram Darbar colony are a harried lot for most of the time either the doctor is found missing or medicines are not available. Many a time, the pharmacist acts as a ‘doctor’ and examines the patients and prescribes medicines.

A visit to the dispensary at 12.30 pm this morning brought to light the sorry state of affairs prevailing in the dispensary. It was virtually empty as most of the employees except a peon, chowkidar and a family planning worker were on duty. The doctor was reported to be on leave and the patients were being referred to the Sector 16 General Hospital or the Registered Medical Practitioners ( RMPs). The rooms allocated to the malaria unit were found locked and the injection room is not being out to the right use. Since even the pharmacist was not around, medicines were not being given.

Ram Bai, a labourer who walked in complaining of shoulder pain, lamented that “the doctor is very irregular and even after coming 3-4 times, I have neither been able to meet the doctor nor get any medicine for relief.” Another patient, Gobind Thakur pointed out that “what is the use of having a dispensary in the vicinity when most of the time you are not able to get yourself examined by a proper doctor”. He disclosed that the employees do not even make themselves available during the working hours of the dispensary, thereby causing inconvenience to the patients. They are required to be there from 8 to 2.30 in the afternoon, but most of them come in by 9.30 and are ready to leave by 2 pm. Few others are absent for most of the time. Yet they mark their attendance at the end of the week, sources disclose.

The absence of employees in the dispensary is proving to be a windfall for the local RMPs who are charging visiting fees of Rs 25-30 in addition to the medicines. Most of the patients have no option but to buy their medicines from the market at almost double the prices.

Mr Bhagwan Dass Sangam, President of the SC/BC morcha of the BJP disclosed that pregnant women are being referred to a nearby chemist shop for various tests as certain employees, including the Auxilliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs) are taking their cuts for doing so. For a Rs 100 test they charge something between Rs 30-50 per test, it is learnt. He further said that since the female multipurpose health worker is mostly absent from duty, the ANMs only do the job of putting the injections, leading to swellings, particularly in case of children. Another resident alleged that the doctor and the ANM are together engaged in performing abortions and charging Rs 350 from the patient. The charges for deliveries, in case the ANM goes home, are also quite high. Hence, the poor and the illiterate are being fleeced day in and day out.

According to Mr Sangam, the dispensary, which caters to a population of nearly 50,000 persons residing in Ram Darbar colony, Phase I and II and Industrial Area Phase II, besides other nearby areas, has an OPD of about 100 patients per day and, thereby, needs atleast two regular doctors. One doctor and that too one who works almost part-time is not able to meet the requirements of the people. The rush almost doubles up after holidays, he disclosed.

The upkeep of the building is also far from satisfactory as it is marked by encroachments and wild growth of grass. The chowkidaar has made a small room to keep pigeons right at the entrance to the dispensary and grown vegetables all over the place. One is greeted in by a broken windowpane which despite repeated requests has not been replaced.

Official authorities when contacted maintained that the doctor is available on most days except Fridays when she has an OPD in Sector 16 hospital or has to visit the jail. And if she has a night duty, then also she does not come the next day.

The DHS, Dr Joginder Singh, had earlier pointed out the difficulties they have in providing regular doctors to these dispensaries as the number of dispensaries are far more than the doctors available with them.

Battling for life, he needs help
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — He wants to live — after winning the perilous battle with rheumatic heart disease — but cannot fight. He cannot afford the treatment. For he exists below the poverty line.

Just 25, Hari Chand of Tohana in Fatehabad is dependent upon his family, instead of supporting it. For keeping the heart pumping, he requires Mitral Valve Replacement with artificial heart valve under cardiopulmonary by-pass.

He has been getting his treatment from the PGI for the past 18 months. Putting up in the Sector 12 Gurdwara, he waits with hope to get some aid for his operation. The rough estimate given by the PGI is about Rs 90,000, claims haggard and rundown Hari.

“I am totally illiterate and have been handed an endless list of about 60 items for the operation. But the doctors at the PGI are good and have been very helpful. I do not have a father and my mother has sold whatever little silver jewellery she had. My younger brothers earn to take care of my wife and kids as well as for my treatment,” says Hari Chand. “I live here alone as the bus fare from my village to here is Rs 125 and I cannot afford to spent that much money for my relatives every now and then.”

“I want to live and educate my children and look after my family. But this is only possible if I survive and can get myself operated upon. Living like this is really tough. I am totally dependent on someone and feel like a pile-on. Even if I want to work, my body does not permit me to do so,” he asserts.

“I am too young to give in and have lots of dreams to fulfil. I wish there is someone who can help me out. Someone who could get my operation done. Someone who could gift me with another life, a meaningful one,” he says. Any person wanting to help Hari Chand can meet him at the Sector 12 Gurdwara sarai.

SPORT

Das breaks three records
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — Cpl A.K. Das of the Western Air Command broke three records in the above-105-kg section on the concluding day of the Air Force Inter-Command Weightlifting Championship here today in the Lecma Auditorium at 3BRD. LAC Kumar P. of the Training Command remained overall second in each section. The overall championship was also won by the Training Command which got 176 points. The South Western Air Command was at number two with 147 points.

Results: Snatch (105 kg) — Cpl A.K. Das (WAC) 135 kg 1, LAC Kumar P. (TC) 92.5 kg 2; clean and jerk — Cpl A.K. Das (WAC) 165 kg 1, LAC Kumar P. (TC) 130 kg 2; total — Cpl A.K. Das (WAC) 300 kg 1, LAC Kumar P. (TC) 222.5 kg 2.

Air Commodore Arvind Aggarwal, Air Officer Commanding of the 3 BRD, gave away the prizes.

Meanwhile, a 15-member Air Force team was also selected for participation in the Inter-Services Weightlifting Tournament.

The members of the team are as follows: Nasruddin (TC), Ramesh Kumar (WAC), Jai Prakash (TC), Bhardwaj (MC), P. Mohanty (MC), Jasbir Singh (CAC), Datton A.P. (TC), Sakthi V.L. (TC), Murugan, Jitender Singh, Maheshwari, P.K. Sharma, S.K. Mavai and A.K. Das. Mr A.S. Virk and Mr Harnam Singh will be the coaches.

Archery tourney: The Chandigarh Archery Association held a meeting headed by Mr Satya Pal Jain, a former MP, here today and decided to hold the UT State Championship on August 5 and 6 at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8.

The association members said the budding youngsters in this sport should be spotted in schools and colleges and given adequate exposure. Mr Ravinder Talwar, the school Principal and senior functionary of the association, said the school would give full support to the sport.

Panchkula shuttlers shine in Chennai
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — The young shuttlers of Panchkula stole the show by performing well at the tenth Krishna Khaitan memorial all-India prize money junior badminton tournament at Chennai, which was given a ranked tournament status by the Badminton Association of India. Giving this information, the Secretary of the District Badminton Association, Panchkula, Mr TR Tuli said it was because of the various national camps held at Jalandhar and Bhiwani, which these players attended, that helped in the present fine performance.

Mr Tuli, also an executive member of the Haryana Badminton Association, said Saurav Kapoor and Yashwa were runners-up in the boys under-13 doubles section, Pallavi Aggarwal reached last four of the under-10 girls section, Gaurav Verma reached last 16 of the under-13 singles, Kannu Aggarwal made it to last 16 in under-13 girls section and Sumit Dahiya and Peeyush Aggarwal entered the quarter-finals of the boys under-16 doubles section. He said few of the players had also undergone advanced training at Mumbai, which helped improve their game level.

He said Sachin Garg made it to main rounds of under-16 section. He also told that the association would hold the inter-school badminton tournament for young players of Panchkula, Chandigarh and SAS Nagar in the near future in order to provide them with desired match exposure.