The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Doctors battle over night duties
From Kulwinder Sangha

SAS NAGAR, Oct 18 — How often have you heard of the doctors’ duty roster of a small hospital being prepared on the orders of the Special Secretary, Health-cum-Managing Director, Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC)?

Well, it is happening at the 50-bedded Civil Hospital here following a battle over the number of night duties a doctor is to perform during the month. The duty roster for the month of October has been prepared by the orders of the Special Secretary, Health-cum-Managing Director, PHSC.

Trouble started when some doctors felt that they were being given an unfair slice of night duty with certain others doing merely half the number of such duties assigned to the former.

The SMO, as is normal practice, clears the roster under her signature. However, when one of the monthly duty rosters did not satisfy certain doctors, they rushed to meet the Ropar Civil Surgeon for the redress of their grievance.

It is learnt that the Civil Surgeon then gave directions during the last week of September for the preparation of a fresh roster, which again did not satisfy another section of the doctors.

A solution to the duty problem was not easy. Women doctors had not been performing night duty for the past two or three years under a government order.

Recently they were brought on a par with their male colleagues in the matter of night duty by the government. As such when the hospital SMO put certain women doctors on night duty, they met the higher authorities in this connection, which resulted in the issuance of a statewide circular. Under the circular, women doctors whose babies were less than 18 months old were exempted from night duty.

Besides, certain doctors, who were unhappy with the roster prepared under the directions of the Civil Surgeon, rushed to meet the Special Secretary (Health)-cum-Managing Director, PHSC.

An order (no. PHSC/Admn-3/2000/4437-42) dated September 28 was then issued. The order said to “streamline the work” of the Civil Hospital “no doctor would be exempted from emergency duty/night duty except in cases where exemption is provided under the government instructions.”

The order further stated that “doctors of a few critical specialities such as medicine, gynaecology, pathology and radiology should not be put on night duty for more than two days in a month.” Besides, the order said “all other doctors, whether they are regular or on local arrangement or working in the nearby dispensaries, should be treated on a par while assigning emergency/night duties.” However, doctors working in the dispensaries here have been assigned only one night duty in the October roster in contradiction of the order.

Certain doctors wonder on what basis these “critical” specialities have been determined, especially in the cases of pathology and radiology. Technicians are not available in the laboratories and in the radiology section after OPD hours. Has this “unusual” categorisation been done merely to reduce the night duties of certain doctors? One argument, however, is that doctors in the radiology section are needed during the day for giving opinions on medico-legal cases. Besides, pathologists are needed to handle biochemistry tests.

The Senior Medical Officer in charge of the hospital, Ms Harinder Rana Brar, declined to commend on the issue.

SPORT

Korfball picking up the world over
By Arvind Katyal

CHANDIGARH, Oct 18 — Korfball is a team game in which players of both sexes form part of the same team. A korfball team is made up of eight players — four men and four women. This game originated in Amsterdam (Holland) in 1902.

Mr Hans Uroech of Holland, who has been deputed by the International Korfball Federation to popularise the game in this part of the world was in SAS Nagar to witness the Federation Cup Korfball Championship organised by the Punjab Korfball Association. According to him, this game is being played in 45 countries of the world and is knocking at the doors of the Olympic Games for recognition. But it needs participation of more countries to enter the Olympic arena. He hopes that by 2012, Korfball may become an Olympic sport. Mr Uroech, who was accompanied by his wife, Els, who is a former korfball champion of Holland, said that at present, eight Asian countries — Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, China (Taipei), Japan and India — played this game and the last World championship was held in 1999. The next world championship will be held in Holland in 2001.

Before coming to SAS Nagar, Mr Uroech visited Agra to promote korfball in that region. So far he has visited Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Punjab for the promotion of korfball. According to him, korfball is a family sport in Europe where husband-wife combinations play in a team and in most cases children join them later.

Korfball, when played indoors has a ground 40 feet long and 20 feet wide and when played outdoors the ground is 30 feet by 60 feet. In Europe, the outdoor courts have artificial or natural grass while the indoor courts have wooden, rubber, or synthetic surfaces.

In India, he said that players were now coming from the games of basketball and netball. If this game had to grow, he said, there had to be more competition, and sportspersons who play this game exclusively.

He added that Indian juniors would get more exposure in the Junior Asian Korfball Championship likely to be held at Hong Kong in February next. At present, Indian seniors were rated among the top three in Asia.

One practical problem in India, he says, is that most women players when they cross 21 years, get married and leave the game. There is no alternative to including boys to complete the team. He, however, predicted a bright future for korfball in India.

St Stephen’s School lift hockey title
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Oct 18 —St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, justified its supremacy in under-14 hockey when it captured the UT Inter-School Hockey title played at Hockey Stadium, Sector 18. In a one-sided final, St Stephen’s boys defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, at 5-0 with Saurabh scoring three goals, while, Udit Narula shine with two goals.

In the UT Inter-School Under-17 Basketball Tournament, Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, outplayed New Public School, Sector 18, at 46-39.

Third place went to St Xavier’s-44, which beat Government Model High School, Sector 26, at 32-14.

DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, defeated Shri Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, at 30-14, while third place went to Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23.

Cricket tourney

St John’s High School, Sector 26, overpowered YPS, SAS Nagar, by seven wickets in the under-10 section of the 3rd Blessed Edmund Rice Cricket Tournament held today.

The chief guest of today’s function was Bhupinder Singh ‘Senior’, a senior cricketer.

Brief scores: YPS, SAS Nagar: 45 all out in 19.5 overs (Himanshu Bawa 3 for eight and Rahul Bakshi 3 for 13).

St John’s-26: 46 runs for three in 6.1 overs (Ayush Raj Soni 14 and Taranveer 2 for eight).

ADMINISTRATION

High-level Admn team for IT fair
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 18 — A high-level team of the Chandigarh Administration led by the Advisor to the UT Administrator, Ms Vineeta Rai, will go to Bangalore where a five day — the largest ever information technology fair in Asia — is being held from November 1.

Chandigarh, which is staking claim to IT friendliness and taking big steps in the IT sector, has also set up stalls in the fair billed as the biggest in the year. The Administration had tied up with professionals who would man the stalls and sell Chandigarh as the perfect IT destination of the future. Several lakh visitors are expected to come to Bangalore.

The stalls of Chandigarh are in the state pavilions which is an earmarked space in the fair. The Administration’s team shall comprise the Finance Secretary, Mr Rakesh Singh, Director Information Technology , Mr Vivek Atray and the Additional Director IT, Prof S.P. Dhawan. The first batch of officials will reach Bangalore two days in advance.