The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Hospitals in residential areas may get UT’s nod
A.S.Prashar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Chandigarh may soon become the first city in the country to have regularised nursing homes and private hospitals operating in residential areas, which will also have official approval.

The Chandigarh Nursing Home and Private Hospitals Association, which has been interacting with the UT Administration ever since its members were peremptorily served with notices by the Estate Office to either close down or face action nearly five years ago, said that it was close to resolving the matter to the satisfaction of all concerned.

‘‘It has been quite a struggle but I must say that officers of the UT Administration have been very understanding and cooperative regarding the problems of nursing homes and private hospitals operating in residential areas of the city,’’ said Dr Mahesh Hiranandani, honorary secretary of the association.

There were 35 nursing homes and private hospitals in the city operating in residential areas of the city. Although many of them had been there right from the city’s inception, the Administration woke up to the fact of their existence only recently when it served them with eviction notices, apparently on complaints from those living in the neighbourhood. It was argued that the nursing homes in residential areas not only disturbed the neighbourhood but also posed a serious health hazard because of the biomedical waste generated by them as also by the fact that all sorts of patients, including those with communicable diseases visited them for treatment.

Under the bylaws of the Chandigarh Administration, nursing homes and private hospitals were not be permitted in residential areas. The Administration had laid down the rule that no nursing homes or private hospitals would be permitted in houses less than 500 sq yd (one kanal). While those in one kanal residential houses would have to pay conversion charges, others would have to shift elsewhere to sites earmarked for the purpose. The association was now in the process of depositing conversion charges which are quite hefty.

‘‘As regards nursing homes operating in houses of less than one kanal, we have requested the Administration to allot the sites instead of auctioning them. In one case, when the site of a nursing home was sanctioned, certain businessmen got together and took the auction to so high as to put the final price of the site beyond the means of an ordinary doctor,’’ he added.

Another problem faced by them was that all nursing homes were being offered sites in south of the city even if at present they were operating in sectors like 15 or 16. ‘‘We have pleaded with the Administration but to no avail so far,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the PGI said that the Engineering Department of the institute had taken rigorous steps for the disposal of hospital wastes. Since the early recovery of the patient and health of clinical staff directly depended on a clean and hygienic environment, it was essential that hospital waste was collected, stored and disposed off in a proper and scientific manner.

Hospital waste management was a part of the hospital hygiene and maintenance activities, said Mr G.S. Rosha, Head of the Department of Hospital Engineering and Planning, PGI.

According to Ms Parampreet Kaur Ahuja, a postgraduate in environmental engineering working in the PGI, best part of the biowaste disposal at the PGI was that heat energy produced by the two incinerators was being used for heating the water utilised by the laundry. The heat recovery system produced 5000 litres of hot water/ hour at a temperature of 70° C. The Department of Hospital Engineering and Planning was quite successfully meeting the norms laid down by the Central Pollution Control regarding the disposal of hospital waste.

Surgery without stitches, glitches
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
The most common cause of diminished vision after the age of 40 is cataract. The only treatment for this is surgery. Laser treatment for cataract is a stitchless surgery, also known as phacoemulsification. As there is no need for stitching in this, it is commonly known as laser treatment. Stitchless surgery is almost as effective as laser treatment for other eye ailments like glaucoma. This was stated by Dr Varun Gupta, in a statement issued here today. Stitchless surgery is available at government as well as private hospitals in the city.

In this form of treatment, a very small valve-type cut is made in the eye, which does not allow eye fluid to leak, thus there is no need for stitches. Then cataractous/hazy lens is broken into small pieces by a needle using ultrasound energy delivered through phacoemulsification machine and the small pieces are sucked out of the eye through the same needle. Then a small intraocular lens (made from synthetic material) is inserted into the eye through the same small cut. The patient’s eye may or may not be bandaged.

The recovery of vision is quick. There are no precautions prescribed, except for normal ocular hygiene and prevention of injury. No bed rest is advised. There is no age limit for this type of surgery.

SPORTS

Officials put shuttlers’ patience on trial
Arvind Kaytal

Chandigarh, January 22
Tuesday morning witnessed more than three-hour ordeal for the 17-odd badminton players including seven girls who waited for UT Education Department officials at Government Senior Secondary school, Sector 23, for trials in both boys and girls sections for their selection to UT schools badminton team in under-17 section. The players thus selected would participate 47th edition of the National school Games to be held at Patiala from January 31.

When this reporter visited the indoor hall of the school, where trials were proposed to start at 10 am, only one official of the selection committee was present. He told the players that the trials would be conducted as the power was restored, as there was official power cut from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Later at 11am, when again the young shuttlers assembled for trial, they were again told that the said trials will now be held at 12 noon. The harried parents alongwith demoralised children, failed to decided whether to go back or wait. Few of them left for their respective homes and rest waited with gloom writ large on their faces. One parent on the condition of anonymity said the officials were least bothered about the studies of their wards with this lacklustre approach and what message it would deliver down the line to the young students.

Then finally at 1.15 pm, one of the official deputed to the UT Education Department, Mr Ramkishan seemed to be serious. He asked asked the participants to queue themselves. When the process was on, another committee official Mr Gurdeep Singh, arrived on the scene stating that he just got the message as the official letter had not reached him. But to the surprise of everyone, no technical qualified badminton coach was present at the time of the trials.

Mr Shiv Sharma, Principal of the GMSS-23, when contacted said the delay occurred as few of the members had gone to the Parade Ground for rehearsal of Republic day functions. Mr Prem Puri, Assistant Education Officer, when contacted said they all were busy in the Parade Ground, so trials were delayed.

Earlier also several cases of mismanagement have been reported at the time of the trials. Even teams going to various national school games without proper railway reservation were quite often.

Morni villages benefit under Indira Awaas Yojna
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 22
The Administration has spent over Rs 2 lakh on various development activities in the Morni block during the current financial year. A sum of Rs 2. 81 lakh had been sanctioned for the development works at Morni during the present year under the decentralisation scheme.

The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jyoti Arora, informed that in Samlautha, Dhaman, Thandog, Morni, Tharh and Malon villages, schoolrooms were constructed and village roads were laid. A sum of Rs 11 lakh was spent on constructing chaupals, water tanks, drains and bus stand.

She informed that under the Indira Awaas Yojna, a sum of Rs. 1. 59 lakh had been spent on constructing houses. The villages of Amri, Saida, Barat and Baagwali had benefited under this scheme.