The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Ombudsman must for govt hospitals: Panel
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17
Expressing concern that several medicare facilities in the central government-run hospitals in the Capital exist only on paper, a Parliamentary Committee on Health has said there is an urgent need to change the work culture and create an “ombudsman” type of machinery.

It has noted that the privatisation of sanitation work at RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College has brought about satisfactory results and hoped that the Labour Ministry would grant permission to relax the rules on engaging private contractual labour for the sanitation work beyond February 2002.

The committee has expressed concern over the total lack of coordination among the Central government hospitals in Delhi and said various medicare facilities available with the hospitals exist on paper only. “Instances of precious lives being lost due to vital equipment being non-functional continue to occur regularly. Reality is that only those patients whose attendants can manage some reference at the right place get the best medicare,” the committee has said in its report. Referring to the functioning of the control rooms in Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital and AIIMS where senior doctors remain available for co-ordination with other hospitals for management and referral of patients, it says that these facilities are also only on paper.

Saying that surprise inspections by the higher authorities could prove effective, the committee says that instances of patients going to different hospitals for the same ailment are due to the lack of a coordination mechanism among the various hospitals. “Such type of coordination, to begin with, the committee feels, can be worked out between Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS so as to help reduce the burden on both these hospitals and also to increase the patient’s convenience,” the report says.

Noting that the hospitals are bursting at the seams both on the OPD and inpatient sides, the committee says there has been a phenomenal increase in the number of patients with no corresponding increase in the number of beds and other infrastructural facilities.

Overcrowding, the committee feels, impinges upon not only the quality and efficiency of medical services but also adversely affects research activities in institutes like the AIIMS. It expresses happiness over the proposal to set up a screening OPD at the AIIMS and recommends that the department get the necessary approvals from the civic authorities of Delhi at the earliest for the early construction of the project which has been hanging fire for the last many years.

On the cleanliness and hygiene in the hospitals, the committee says that though some steps have been taken, the action taken is not visible in reality.

There is absolute lack of coordination between the local bodies and the hospital authorities in removing waste from the hospitals, it says adding that the Ministry of Environment and Forests has a special role to play in waste management.

SPORTS

Bopanna, Srinath seeded for India F2
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 17
Rohan Bopanna and Prahlad Srinath are the only Indian players to be seeded for the $10,000 prize money India F2 Men’s Futures Tennis Tournament to be held at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) deco-turf courts from March 18 to 23.

Davis Cuppers Rohan Bopanna and Prahlad Srinath have been seeded sixth and eighth respectively in a strong field, which is headed by Roberto Alvarez of Argentina. Branislav Sekac of Slovakia, who beat David Sherwood of England in straight sets to win the first leg of the ITF Futures in Chennai on Saturday, however, has been seeded seventh while Sherwood does not figure among the seeds.

The Indian challenge will be led by Bopanna, with veteran Nitin Kirtane, Mustapha Ghouse, Shivang Mishra, Vishal Punna, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, Manoj Mahadevan, Vishal Uppal, and Prahlad Srinath also in the fray for a shot at the title.

Shivang Mishra, Sunil Kumar, Vishal Uppal and Manoj Mahadevan made it to the main draw through wild cards while Vishal Punna was the only Indian to come through the qualifying round.

The seeded players in the singles are Roberto Alvarez, Lee Childs of Great Britain, Mark Hilton of Britain, Anton Kokurin of Uzbekistan, Dmitri Mazur of Uzbekistan, Rohan Bopanna, Banislav Sekac of Britain and Prahlad Srinath, in that.

Six Indian pairs figure in the doubles main draw with Rohan Bopanna and Vijay Kannan getting pride of place as the fourth seeds. Nitin Kirtane has partnered Sunil Kumar, while other pairings are Vijendra Laad-Manoj Mahadevan, Kamla Kannan-Vinod Sridhar, Prahlad Srinath-Vishal Uppal and Ashutosh Singh-Gurmehar Singh. The doubles seeding is led by Jonathan Marray and David Sherwood of Great Britain.

Run for health to create awareness
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 17
“Health is wealth” is a cliched saying, but it’s an accepted fact that “people with inadequate physical activity and no regular exercise are more prone to health disorders than the active people”.

According to Dr K K Aggarwal, “active life is the best prevention against diseases, especially heart problems”. The noted cardiologist said the answer to good health was in changing the life style and dietary habits and that is what the basic message of the Health Fitness Run to be held in Delhi on April 7.

The Health Fitness Trust and the Heart Care Foundation of India are jointly organising a health-run-cum perfect health parade in the Capital on April 7.

The health parade, unique in many respects, is being organised on the pattern of the Republic Day parade. With over 100 tableaux from various organisations and emphasis on various systems of medicine like allopathy, ayurveda, unani, homeopathy and naturopathy, the parade will present a number of innovative modules to create positive health and to raise the scientific level of enquiry into the health care system.

Over 10,000 persons, including students, doctors and nurses will take part in the parade.

The run will have segments like 10km, 5km and 3km, and the parade will move from Nehru Stadium-Lodhi Road-Vijay Chowk before taking the unusual 26th January Republic Day route.

Former Asian Marathon champion Sunita Godara, who is the director of the Health Fitness Trust, said over 5000 people will participate in the fitness runs.

The tale of a striking sportsperson
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 17
John David is described as a man of discipline, determination and dedication by his disciples. The three day’s they claim had made him a known figure in the skating arena of the country.

Been a ‘class’ player of the Roller Hockey an upcoming sports event in the country, John is not just another sportsman. Captained the Indian team in 1989 Asian Championships held in China, David has shown his prowess in the game at various National and International levels.

Having played in the World roller Hockey tournament at Macau in 1990, he has helped the Indian team to win Bronze medal in the 7th Asian Championship held in 1997 in both men and women section, as a Coach. Already honoured with Governor’s award as an Excellent Coach, John has been absorbed as Roller Hockey Coach by the Haryana government.

He started his career in the field in early eighties and subsequently he got selected in the National team in 1985, there was no looking back. He captained Punjab team from 1986 to 1989 and helped it to get several gold medals. He was a member of the Indian team, which won silver in the First Asian Championship in Japan. John remained the highest scorer in the Second Asian Tournament held in South Korea in 1987. He got selected as Captain of the National squad in 1989 and the team was able to maintain third position, in the Third Asian championship. After playing in two world level tournaments he joined the Sports Department of Haryana in 1990 as a Coach.

In his role as a trainer, David has produced several national and International level players from the state. These include, Ms Khusboo Saini, the National Champion and Bronze medalist at Asian level in speed skating. Harmeet Kaur, Madhu Monga, Medha Saini are among his disciples, who have made to the national and International level. Dipesh Kathuria, Angad Bajwa, Anand Sharma, Amit Ahuja, Harpreet Singh, Vivek, Amit

Kathuria, Raminder Pal Singh and Saurabh Duggal are among the trainees of Mr Johan who have been in the state team.

Vaibhav Dua stars in Winsom’s big win
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 17
A fine all-round performance by Vaibhav Dua, who scored a century and then took three wickets, enabled Winsom beat Ashirwad Club by 105 runs in a Super A Division match of the DDCA League at the Yamuna Sports Complex I ground.

Scores: Winsom Club: 237 for 4 in 40 overs (Naveen Asrani 83, Vaibhav Dua 111, 6x4, 4x6; Sunny Grover 2/23).

Ashirwad: 132 all out in 33.2 overs (Gurusharan Singh 51, Vaibhav Dua 3/18, Ashwani Kumar 3/25). Malviya Club beat South Delhi Club by four wickets in a Super A Division match at Kotla No 1.

Scores: South Delhi: 181 in 39 overs (Mayank Tehlan 87, Raj Kapoor 5/30).

Malviya Club: 183 for 6 in 37.4 overs (Raj Kapoor 57, Padamjeet Sehrawat 52, Sanjay Gill 3 for 38).

Indian Air Force (IAF) beat G G Dutt Gymkhana by 43 runs in a Super A Division match at the Palam ground.

Scores: Indian Air Force: 190 in 40 (Imran Khan 79, Mohinder Pal 5 for 40, Ankit Bhargava 2 for 39).

G G Dutt: 147 in 37.4 overs (Amar Sharma 32, Ankit Bhargava 31, S S Karmakar 4/20, Prashant Gupta 2/30). Yorks Club beat Delhi Wonders by 62 runs in an A-II Division match at Kotla II ground.

Scores: 222 in 39.3 overs (Rajesh Deswal 73, Rajesh Sharma 43, Mukesh Yadav 3/32, Sachin Saini 2/47, Amit Sharma 2/55).

Delhi Wonders: 160 in 29.2 overs (Vikas Bharti 34, S K Soni 2/23, Prakash Singh 2/24).