HEALTH

GMCH docs withdraw protest
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — With the authorities at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, promising to forward the case of the termination of services of a senior resident for reconsideration to the Secretary, Medical Research and Institute, the agitating doctors withdrew their protest at forenoon, here today.

According to the authorities, the work in the OPDs and elsewhere in the hospital did not suffer as more than two thirds of the doctors had reported for work in the morning.

The senior residents had planned a mass casual leave today, to protest against the “callous attitude” of the hospital administration following the termination of services of Dr Manmohan Singh Bedi, a senior resident in the Department of Surgery, GMCH.

Dr Bedi’s services had been terminated following an incident in May this year. After some accident victims were brought to the GMCH, one of the serious patients was referred to the PGI by him without issuing a registration card. Considering the seriousness of the patient, two interns were sent along.

Since the admit card of the patients in such medico legal cases in such accidents is considered to be an important document, this lapse was considered serious and the doctor’s services were terminated.

The doctors had alleged that Dr Bedi had been given a termination order without establishing any charges through a proper inquiry. 

‘India needs to invest in healthcare’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — India spends a meagre four per cent of its GDP on health-care as compared to 14 per cent in USA and six per cent as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). A major portion of the funds allotted for this sector, instead of being diverted towards the primary health care, which our country needs the most, go to the tertiary level, said Mr Vinay Singhal, CEO, Fortis Health Care.

Mr Singhal, who was speaking on the occasion of the 34th foundation day of the Chandigarh Management Association emphasised on the need of proper healthcare system in the country.

Mr Singhal said co-operation between the private sector and the government could ensure the best facilities at the cheapest rates. Information Technology (IT) should also be used to speed up this system and pass on information from primary healthcare centres to the district centres from where it can ultimately be sent to the hub , that is the centre, for treatment . “Instead of having more number of diagnostic centres we need to have more primary healthcare centres which should be connected to diagnostic and treatment centres”, he said.

Babu Parmanand, Governor, Haryana, who was the chief guest said, in the wake of liberalisation and globalisation, the country required intervention of management professionals in the companies facing the competition. He also expressed concern over slow industrial growth in Haryana. Emphasising the adoption of ethics in business, he said the wide gap between the cost of production and the selling price needed to be reduced. Issues relating to child labour, consumer protection and equal distribution of wealth should not be ignored, he added.

Mr T.T. Thomas, president, All India Management Association said, instead of taking globalisation as a threat to the country, India should use the phenomenon for becoming a global power in the way China has done. He opined that Foreign Direct Investments could be fruitfully used under circumstances where there was hardly anything in the central exchequer to be invested.

Workshop on zoology
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 15—The two-day UGC-sponsored workshop on “Zoology — its present scenario”, organised by the Department of Zoology of Panjab University (PU) concluded here today.

Dr Pawan Sharma of the ICGEB, New Delhi, discussed the hurdles in the development of an effective malaria vaccine at the valedictory function, which was presided over by Prof A Sahni, Dean University Instructions of the Panjab University.

Prof R.C. Sobti of the Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, highlighted the decrease in the synthesis of the enzyme telomerase leading to ageing of the cells. Its unscheduled synthesis causes cancer, he added.

The diagnosis and treatment of human neurocysticercosis, which is a common cause of epilepsy and intercranial space occupying lesions in children was discussed by Prof Nancy Malla of the Department of Parasitology of the PGI.

Dr Meenu Singh of the PGI, focussed her talk on a new concept in the field of medicine. Prof Jai Rup Singh of the Centre for Genetic Disorders of Guru Nanak University, Amritsar, said though there was hope of permanent cure by the gene therapy for the genetic disorders but its cost was prohibitive.

SPORT

St Xavier’s win cricket match
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The hosts, St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, outplayed St Joseph’s School, Sector 44, by eight runs in the ICSE Schools Cricket Tournament played at the St Xavier’s grounds.

Brief scores: St Xavier’s-44: 114 all out in 19.2 overs (Girish 42, Saurabh 17, Shivam 13, Jatinder 3 for 23, Harpreet 2 for 17, Puneet 2 for 23).

St Joseph’s-44: 106 runs for eight in 20 overs (Amit 36, Puneet 20, Harpreet 11, Dhruv 5 for 19).

Hockey meet
Eleven eves of the Sports Training Centre, Sector 18, will participate in the All-India Inter-Varsity Hockey (Women) Tournament beginning tomorrow at the Panjab University grounds. They are: Prem Lata, Sadhna, Mandeep, Sangeeta Kadiyan, Savita, Anu, Sushma, Sangeeta Chauhan, Neha, Smita and Pooja.

Karate trials
The Amateur Karate Association of Chandigarh will hold the selection trials for the 5th Senior National Men and Women Karate Championship, to be held at Ahmedabad from January 26 to 28, on Sunday at MDAV School, Sector 32. This championship will be conducted as per the rules of the World Karate Federation.

Shooting Ball trials
The selection trials for the UT shooting ball team will be held on Sunday at 10 am at the shooting ball ground, Sector 46, according to Mr OP Malhotra, press secretary of the Shooting Ball Association of Chandigarh. The team will be selected for the National Shooting Ball championship to be held at Delhi from December 29 to 31.

ADMINISTRATION

Admn list of holidays for 2001
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The employees of the Chandigarh Administration will get 18 holidays, other than the routine closed days on each Saturday and Sunday, in the year 2001. Besides this, two full day restricted holidays and four half day restricted holidays will also be allowed as per the list of holidays released by the administration here today.

The holidays will be on the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (January 2); Republic day (January 26); Maha Shivaratri (February 21) ; Id-ul-Zuha ( March 6); Holi (March 9); Ram Naumi (April 2); Baisakhi / Good Friday (April 13); Dr B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14); Janmasthmi (August 12); Independence day (August 15); Gandhi Jayanti (October 2); Dussehra (October 26); Maharishi Balmiki birthday (November 1); Divali (November 14); Guru Nanak Dev’s birthday (November 30); Id-ul-Fitr 9 (December 17); martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur (December 19) and Christmas ( December 25).

Besides the above closed days each employee will also be permitted two restricted holidays out of the following list — New Year (January 1); Lohri (January 13); Basant Panchmi (January 29); Guru Ravi Dass Jayanti (February 8); Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti (February 17); martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh (March 23); Muharram (April 5); Mahavir Jayanti (April 6); Budh Purnima (May 7); martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev (May 26); Raksha Bandhan (August 4) ; Karva Chauth (November 4); Goverdhan Pooja/Vishkarma day (November 15); Bhai Dooj (November 16); Jor Mela Fatehgarh Sahib (December 26, 27 and 28).

Other than the restricted holidays employees will also be permitted to avail four half days restricted holidays of choice to participate in the procession to be taken out in Chandigarh on the eve of various religious occasions.