HEALTH

Staff leader’s transfer: strike spreads
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
Striking employees of the Punjab Health Department Subordinate Officers Clerical Association received a shot in the arm when members of other state units joined the dharna here today.

The members had been on strike for the past 10 days to protest against the transfer of the district president of the association, Mr Sukhwinder Singh, to Patiala on the basis of a complaint. Employees of the district ESI Hospital also joined the striking workers.

Mr Sukhwinder Singh, while talking to Ludhiana Tribune, said he had been transferred on the basis of the complaint of Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra, who had accused him of supporting the SAD-BJP candidate, Mr Amrik Singh Aliwal. Mr Libra had said his letter-head had been misused.

Mr Jagdev Singh, general secretary of the association, said the workers were protesting against the adamant attitude of the Director, Health Services. Mr Sukhwinder Singh alleged that he had been transferred as he had unearthed a scandal in the purchase of duplicate medicines and other material in the department.

Mr Bikramjit Singh, a member of the union, said they had called off the strike when the Deputy Commissioner had assured them that the matter would be resolved, but nothing had been done in this regard so far.

Members of the union urged the Director to lodge a police complaint so that an inquiry was held into the misuse of letterheads.

The Director, Dr G.S. Preet, when contacted in Chandigarh, said the department could not disobey the Election Commission’s order.

Meanwhile, work was hampered today as birth and death certificates could not be issued to the public. The statewide strike would continue till February 26.

Warning of the brain
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
“If a person has acute headache along with stiffness in the neck, he or she should visit a doctor, as this is the sign of bleeding in the brain. About 2 per cent of the population suffers from this disease called aneurysm (abnormally dilated blood vessel),” Dr M.K. Sobti, director of a neuro centre here, told reporters.

He said such intracranial aneurysm would rupture in the case of less than 1 per cent of the population, causing death in 0.5 per cent of the cases. “Aneurysmal rupture is not common in the first 10 years of life, but the incidence increases every 10 years that follow. If a patient does not undergo surgery immediately, there is a 50-50 chance that he or she may bleed again within the first 6 months that follow,” he said.

Dr Sobti said a 73-year-old patient Inderjit Kaur had been admitted to his hospital with altered sensorium and weakness in the left half of the body.

Examination showed bleeding in the subarachnoid space in the right temporal region of the brain (Sylvan fissure) and a blood clot (hemorrhage) in the substance of the underlying brain.

The angiography showed an aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery that had ruptured, which was causing the bleeding.

The patient was treated with medicines, following which, she regained consciousness within a day. The only option left now was to surgically clip the offending blood vessel.

“The surgery was performed by Dr M.K. Sobti and anaesthetist Dr Gaurav Kuthiala. The surgery lasted six hours and the patient was conscious at the end of it,” said Dr Sobti. The patient recovered well in the post-operative period.

Dr Sobti said timely intervention had given the old woman a new life.

He said symptoms of acute and sudden headache and stiffness should not be ignored.

IMA for capable health minister
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 25
Congratulating the Congress for coming back to power in Punjab, the district unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) today called upon the party leadership to decide upon a person who had the experience and capabilities to address problems related to the health and medical fraternity as health minister.

Dr Gursharan Singh, district president of the IMA, said several issues, like reconstitution of the Punjab Medical Council by the outgoing government towards fag-end of its tenure, the Nursing Home Registration Act and their harassment by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, were causing resentment among doctors. 

Punjab Bridge Championship
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, February 25
The local Sutlej Club was the venue for the Punjab Bridge Championship for the national pairs-at-home for N.P. Ubhyakar Trophy, 2002, held on Sunday. The meet was played simultaneously at various centres.

Dr Parminder and Air Cdr Kaushik secured 2,850 points to emerge as overall champions. Brig Ramesh Chandra and Mr R.C. Sharma collected 2,591 points to finish runners-up. Col D.S. Kang and Mr Dinesh Gogna garnered 2,579 points to claim the third spot. Mr Krishan Goyal and Mr M.M. Sharma earned 2,507 points to finish fourth.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Punjab Bridge Association was held under the chairmanship of Mr K.R. Lakhanpal and approved the amendments in the association’s constitution.

School games: Karanveer Singh of Tagore Public Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, represented Punjab in the 47th National School Games Basketball Championship, which was organised by the School Games Federation of India at Patiala recently, according to a press note issued by the Principal, Mrs Manju Parkash.