The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

Technique for time-saving surgery
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Aug 21 — Sukhwinder Singh’s right foot was crushed and mangled by an autorickshaw in an accident. He was treated by an orthopaedic surgeon. He lost skin and other tissues from his foot and needed reconstruction.

He was referred to Satluj Hospital, where Dr Ravinder Tah, a plastic and microvascular surgeon, carried out microvascular transfer of skin from his arm to the foot in an operation lasting three-and-a-half hours which saved his foot. He was discharged on the sixth day of the operation and on 15th day, he was able to stand on his feet.

This is in sharp contrast to the ancient technique of cross-left-flab which has the disadvantage of being bed-ridden for more than one month. The patient is fixed into an awkward natraj position and a very cumbersome and complication causing fixator is used which usually causes ulcers. Because of prolonged and multioperations, the patient spends more money and time, and goes through the agony of being bed-ridden for a month.

Pollution in Ludhiana damaging eyes
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Aug 21 — Toxic elements present in both the air and the water in the city are causing several eye diseases, the incidence of which is the highest among two-wheeler drivers and industrial workers.

According to some eye surgeons, the environment has deteriorated to such an extent that in the coming five to 10 years it would become dangerous to live in this city if corrective measures are not taken.

Doctors reveal that apart from diseases caused by the high level of pollution, they also receive a number of industrial eye-trauma cases. A number of labourers often visit eye surgeons with some metal particles in their eye.

According to Dr S.K. Chopra, President, Punjab Ophthalmological Society, allergic conjuctivitis is one of the most common ailments prevailing in the city. He said toxic substances like carbon monoxide are found present in large numbers. Carbon sticks to the lens of the eye and causes bluring of the image as well as irritation. He disclosed that due to industrial pollution, several other gases in the air were also causing irritation to the eyes.

He said though no proper study about the damage to the eyes by pollution has been done, but going by the experience of the doctors, one could safely assume that it was on the rise. He said due to constant damage to eye’s vision becomes weak which explains why more people, especially youngsters and children, have to wear glasses.

According to Dr G.S. Bajwa, a reader ophthalmologist with the DMC, more and more young people are getting cataract because of pollution. He said bio-medical waste combine with industrial pollution was the main villain.

Doctors are also receiving several cases of industrial injuries. An estimate claims that more than 100 labourers visit an eye surgeon in the city complaining of particles that have pierced their eyes. In most of the cases, vision is lost completely.

Dr Rajinder Singh, another eye surgeon said it was unfortuante that though several policies of the improving the environment of the city had been made, but in the absence of political and administrative will they had not been implemented.

Doctors suggest wearing of masks that prevent the entry of toxic substances to a large extent. Besides, washing eyes with fresh water, three to four times a day, could also help in maintaining their health.

In defence of medical community — II

This is the second and concluding part of my defence of the medical community of Ludhiana which has been at the receiving end of criticism from the public and the mass media in the recent days.

6. How many businessmen, government employees or other professionals work in the night? All hospitals and nursing homes provide 24-hour emergency service, at the cost of their own health and risk to their life. In private nursing homes, a single doctor has to work round the clock. It is not financially viable to employ specialists round the clock.

7. It is an accepted fact that most of the practising doctors take very limited holidays and gradually they are cut off from their close relations and friends. They are always handicapped by the time constraint. Because of their professional commitments, doctors are unable to give time and proper attention to even their own families.

8. Doctors deal with serious and life-threatening medical and surgical problems. From a very early stage of their life, they are constantly exposed to disease, misery and death. It is not strange that problems of psychosomatic illnesses, acute and chronic infections, psychological problems, and divorces are more common among doctors. For the past few years, regular exposure to patients of hepatitis-B and AIDS cases has made the situation more complicated. Once a doctor gets these life-threatening infections from his patients, no one comes forward for his help and assistance.

9. Doctors are the one of the most exploited and poorly united community in the country. In many hospitals of Ludhiana, clerks enjoy more privileges and better working conditions than senior doctors. Just walk to the OPDs and wards of major hospitals and see under what difficult circumstances doctors have to work in. Many doctors in such hospitals do not have even their offices to do study and other academic work.

10. Medical training is the most lengthy, highly tedious and expensive training programme in the world. Many private colleges take about Rs 25 lakh for MBBS or MD degree programmes. Businessmen think it is futile or financially unviable to make their children doctors. They rightly feel that the same money kept in a bank or put in a business yields much better dividends. It is not a coincidence that for the past so many years, not a single member of DMC managing society has made his child a doctor.

12. For the past few years, one often learns of closure of various city markets for summers and other holidays. Markets in cities remain closed for days together, putting the consumer to a great inconvenience. Even Pindi Gali, a wholesale market of medicine, is also closed. Have you ever thought that your next door doctor also needs a break? Have you ever thought a second time to stop pushing the bell of your doctor or ringing him at midnight? Can you think of a situation when the entire city medical community goes for a week-long holiday ? On the contrary, many doctors are routinely called back to attend to emergency cases when they have gone out with their families to see a movie or for a dinner in a restaurant. Wives and children become the victim of the busy life of the doctors. Will government agencies come forward to handle the flood of patients if city doctors also go on a week-long holiday ? Do they have sufficient resources ?

The purpose of this communication is not to say that everything is fair and pure in medical sector. Doctors come from the same families which produce politicians, businessmen, government officers, engineers, teachers etc.

Today, everyone is ambitious and wants to avail himself of the best of the given opportunity. Leaving a few exceptions, everywhere ethics have taken a backseat. What matters is the monetary gain. If the river gets polluted, you cannot blame the left or the right bank. It is the entire river water that gets polluted. I must admit that even today, the majority of the city doctors put in their best to help the patient community. Most of the doctors regularly give due concession to poor and needy patients. It is a great tragedy that in the modern Indian society, black sheep manage to become wolves and go unpunished, irrespective of their place or profession, and rest of the community has to bear the brunt of their follies and crime. The same is true for the medical profession.

It is important to remember that today, the medical sector is being run as any other business, and regular business methods are being applied in running the profession. Whether one accepts it or not, market forces decide the course of various practices and trends in the society. Obviously, when investments are heavy, the risk is more. Competition is growing fast. No one can stop the transformation of the profession of a business, may be it is medicine, law, education or commerce.

— Dr Rajeev Gupta (concluded)

New rural sport policy on anvil
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Aug 21 — The Punjab Rural Sports Development Council (PRSDC) yesterday decided to formulate a new rural sports policy, besides resolving to oppose all games causing cruelty to animals.

A meeting of the council resolved to appeal to the state government to make athletics compulsory at all rural sports festivals. It would also urge the government to make at least one recognised game compulsory in the rural schools of the state.

A press note issued here said, the issue of promoting rural sports in the state was also discussed in the meeting. It was observed that there were many youths eager to achieve laurels for the country in sports, but lack of infrastructure, discouraged them.

The council decided to collect funds and provide sports kits and other material to needy schools.

The council also decided to send a representation to the government for getting recognition for kabbadi, as it was a popular game in rural Punjab. The council would also compile literature about sports into a book and distribute it.