HEALTH

Homoeopathic council to award degrees
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 3
The confrontation simmering between the state and the central council of homoeopathy appears to be heading towards a worse phase with the state council reportedly deciding to go ahead with awarding of degrees to doctors who secured a diploma before 1983. The decision of the state homoeopathic council is expected to be ratified by a meeting of the state council scheduled here for tomorrow.

Highly placed sources disclosed that the state council after getting the matter examined from legal experts was of the opinion that going ahead with their move to award degrees to diploma-holders would not be voilative of either the central or the state council rules. It is felt that the state council was an autonomous body and was within its right to award degrees as well as diplomas.

Reliable sources have indicated that the Council of Homoeopathic System of Medicine (CHSM), Punjab, is going to seek the approval of board of studies at tomorrow meeting.

The controversy on the issue has been growing ever since the CHSM took the decision of awarding the honorary degrees to the diploma-holders about 20 days ago. The degree-olders, however, felt that it was the "selling" of degrees as the council has also asked for Rs 5,000 for allotment of these degrees.

The matter has already gone to the Punjab and Haryana High Court with the court issuing a directive that any decision of the state council would be subject to the final decision of the writ filed on the issue. The writ was filed by Dr Paramjit Singh Ranu, a member of the central council of homoeopathy as well as the state council.

Red Cross proposes new schemes
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 3
Lack of government-aid notwithstanding, the Red Cross, Ludhiana, is trying to generate several new schemes under which destitute women of society, tuberculosis patients and thalessemic children would be taken care of. The society is also planning to start a dental awareness drive among the villagers in remote areas by setting up a dental care van.

Red Cross, Ludhiana, plans to start a ‘Short Stay Home’ for needy women at Sarabha Nagar . This would be a temporary shelter for destitute women. The women will not only be looked after, but also given training in different fields like stitching, knitting and embroidery till the time they become financially independent.

Mr Malik said that for the eradication of tuberculosis from the district, Red Cross had started working with Tagore Lok Kalyan Trust, a non government organisation, where TB patients would be treated free of cost by renowned doctors. He said that the organisation was already spending over Rs 25,000 per month on the treatment of TB patients.

Ludhiana, Red Cross, has already worked for Thallesemic children in the city, in collaboration with the Thallesemic Society of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, headed by Dr Parveen Sobti.

The secretary said,” any thallessemic child or parents of such children could approach us and we would provide blood free of cost. We will be taking the testing charges which would be reimbursed later”.

It may be mentioned here that in the year 2000, the district Red Cross spent over Rs 1,24,00,000 on various projects like maintenance of old age homes, treatment of accident victims, implanting of artificial limbs, providing tricycles and hearing machines to the handicapped, education to deaf and dumb children and ceiling fans in different primary schools of nearby villages. The Red Cross also collected over Rs 80 lakhs, for the Gujarat Quake victims.