The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

MOVING FINGER
Patients writhe in pain as docs play Shylock

DELHI has some of the finest hospitals. It also has some of the most unscrupulous medical men taking the patients and their families for a ride. Any place, a national capital or a national capital region, would be judged by the quality of health care that it provides. Is that care for everybody or for the privileged few? Is it easily accessible to the common man? Is it within the financial reach of the needy? Is the treatment offered in the various medical facilities the same for the high and the low, the rich and the poor?

The last question must be the most difficult to answer for there are enough distinctions and discriminations in the kind of democracy we have in the country. After all, the national capital would not be any different from the rest of the country. The only difference would be the scale of discrimination. Naturally so as we have some of the most powerful, most resourceful citizens here and some of the most deprived and helpless residents too. There is some help for the poor, mostly in the government hospitals, municipal dispensaries and charitable institutions. They are insufficient, badly run and fail to satisfy the needs of the people. Those who benefit from them are lucky. Long queues and an endless wait for a turn to be treated there is not the only problem. The poor quality of care is another. Shortage of equipment and medicines is yet another.

One can go on listing the inadequacies but, then, they are for the common man, even though not inexpensive, and the men who matter may not have the time and the will to care for them.

One could write books on the state of medical care available in the Capital. Not that efforts are not made in both public and private sectors to add to the facilities. New super specialty hospitals are coming up, some of them are in other towns of the national capital region like in Noida and Faridabad.

Gurgaon is planning a medi-city for a number of super specialty hospitals in one sector. It goes without saying that such hospitals are bound to be expensive, beyond the reach of the common man. Some of them get land at concessional rates from the government promising that they would reserve part of the facility for the poor who cannot pay the normal high rates. But not all of them keep their promises. Some of them even cheat in the sense that the free cases would be minor ones while the major cases would be the paid ones.

How expensive they are can be judged from the instances which one comes to know from those who get treatment there. One of them, for instance, has been in one such hospital for over a month and has already spent more than Rs 6 lakh. I am told of a person whose bill was about Rs 40 lakh and the family had to sell their house to pay it. And they can be very strict in seeking payment, mostly in cash, and can go to the extent of announcing on public address system as to how much is due from a certain person and that he should make the payment.

In some of the hospitals, there are not proper arrangements for the anxious relations of the patients, some of them stay there as attendants because they do not rely on the hospital staff. They would sit on stool round the clock in intensive care units beside the beds of patients and would not even find an easy chair outside to stretch a little. This is the case even in some of the most expensive hospitals in the city. And even in such places, there is a risk of getting infections, complicating matters for the already serious patients. There is also a category of private hospitals and nursing homes where the patients are scared by exaggerating the nature of the ailment and putting them through costly treatment even when it is not required.

True to Hippocratic Oath

It’s not that there is no saving grace. There are some really good hospitals and doctors in the city and around. The patients and their attendants go back satisfied and are all praise for the care available there. One can mention them from time to time without thinking that it would amount to giving them publicity for a good work should always be taken note of.

One such hospital is in Noida. Its 20 specialists treat only eye cases. Dr. Sushil Chaudhary who heads it had started it as a small unit but has been expanding it over the years. A very large number of poor patients are treated here free even though they get the same quality of care as the others who pay for the treatment. What is more, all the patients are treated equally and Dr Chaudhary personally supervises the work there. I have come across some people treated there and found them going back happily. The hospital has earned goodwill of many funding agencies within and outside the country and even individual donors in Noida help it according to their capacity regularly. These people are happy that the money thus collected is being spent in the best possible way. Here, then, is an example of quality medical care to which both the rich and the poor have access.

River of Fire

In the early sixties, I read a book in Urdu, ‘Aag Ka Darya’ which impressed me a lot. It was heavy reading but absorbing. I had finished the book, though voluminous, in a few sittings on consecutive days. It was a narration of the evolution of society in this country, a continuous narration in novel form spread over ages with the central character appearing in different periods in different forms. The book had fascinated me. I have been reminded about the book by a friend who is member of a book club in Delhi. The group chooses a title every month and discuss it at its monthly meeting.

The title they chose for May is ‘River of Fire’, a translation of ‘Aag Ka Darya’ done by the author of the original, Qurat Ulain Hyder who earned a name for herself when her Urdu book was published over four decades ago. That she thought of translating it after so long is interesting. I have not come across the book as such but the friend who is going through it for the discussion at the Book Club has the same observation as mine—that the book is heavy reading but interesting. The translation, incidentally, is not old and was done recently. My congratulations to the group who selected this book for discussion. The group with a membership of 22 persons from different disciplines though interested in reading and writing is one of many such informal groups in the city.

Love, Life & Leisure

Talking about books, I have come across a book of poetry just published which is striking in many ways. I am no judge of poetry but know if something is interesting. The writer, Kedar Nath Sharma, a former Air Force Officer who has been teaching spoken English to the Haryanvis for the last few years, describes his poetry as ‘tukbandi’ in English. He shocks the reader from Page I where he writes Priceless in place of price and adds: All rights shared with the readers. All parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission. He dedicates it to ‘All those writers whom I have read and whose ideas I have imbibed and reflect here, my way, in a way’. He quotes C.P.Surendran, “Poetry is now a posthumous art… there is neither money nor much fame in it. Poetry is a suicidal trade in a killing country.”

Having said so much about the book, it may be only fair to reproduce some lines which form part of this book.

The poem ‘Love’ has this to say among other things:

We prefer indoors to outdoors,

It gives us happiness,

Love not lust is photogenic, must

Develop in darkness.

A stanza from ‘Life’ runs like this:

Life is fun, like an onion

It unfolds in layers

That soft and smooth

run through we shun

When they induce tears.

About ‘Leisure’, we have this:

Late to bed and early to rise

Gives black rings under eyes,

Early to bed and late to rise,

Wife flees with other guys.

And thus he goes. Incidentally, you will not find it in any bookshop as it is not priced but he was kind enough to give a copy to me. Must be giving it like this to others, that is, as long as his stock lasts. He is honest and says, “Who buys books on poetry these days?”

Stray Dogs

This is about a residential complex, rather posh complete with a boundary wall and securitymen at the entrance. The residents, many of them, have pet dogs who bark separately or together to make their presence felt. But there are four dogs who live on the campus rather meekly and keep quiet most of the time. But they have been a nuisance in other ways, like pouncing on the residents, particularly the elders who are fond of a stroll in the morning or evening or chasing children who play on the lawns.

These four are stray dogs who have strayed into the complex despite the security. Some people guess that they have found some chinks in the boundary and sneak in at will. Some of the residents are kind enough to offer them food and they apparently like the place. The management of the complex has tried many ways to shoo them away but they manage to return from wherever they are left. The kind residents would not let them be killed. The complex is not part of any municipal body so there can be no help from the authorities. Some NGOs contacted in this connection show helplessness as they care for the sick animals not the healthy ones. One way-out suggested by an NGO is that they can sterilise them and let them stay on the campus as they cannot breed further. It will also vaccinate them so that their bite will not be dangerous.

The NGO says that it will not let other stray dogs barge into their territory. So there will be no addition to them. Of course, the vaccination and sterilisation would cost money. And vaccination will have to be a regular feature. The management is still considering the proposal but does not know if it should go in for it.

Prem Kumar

SPORTS

Rajdhani drub Scindia in Goswami Cricket
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 5
Rajdhani Sports Club drubbed Scindia Club by six wickets in the opening match of the 29th Goswami Ganesh Dutt Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Sant Harchand Singh Longowal Sports Complex at SGTB Khalsa College ground in the Capital on Sunday.

Rajdhani Sports Club won the toss and put Scindia Club into bat. The Scindia Club batsmen failed miserably to tackle the medium-pace and spin attack of Rajdhani Club and were all out for 146 in 34.4 overs. Only Jitender Solanki put up a stout, attacking performance to score 61 runs off 79 balls with four boundaries. He was given solid support by Naresh Kumar (29) as they put on 64 precious runs for the fifth wicket. Jitender played the anchor role for Rajdhani Club as his quickfire runs paved the way for a facile win over Goswami Club.

For Rajdhani Sports, Jatin Khanna gave a superb bowling performance to have a fantastic haul of 5 for 30 in eight overs. Joginder took two wickets.

In reply, Rajdhani Sports played at a leisurely pace to knock up the winning runs for the loss of four wickets in 35.3 overs.

Manish Chawla scored a crackling unbeaten 66 off 106 balls with one six and seven fours to star in Rajdhani Club’s victory.

Scindia Club, in comparison to Rajdhani, had set up a brisk scoring pace, but they lost wickets cheaply after the 30 overs mark, to crash out.

In fact, after making 128 for 5 in 30 overs, Scindia Club lost the next five wickets for the addition of just 18 runs in 4.4 overs.

Rajdhani Sports were 115 for three in 30 overs, but they preserved their wickets, and batted in an unhurried manner to reach the target. Rajdhani Sports take on Steel Authority of India Ltd in a second round match on May 14. Jitender’s 61 run paid rich dividends as their batting line-up was perfect. The tournament was inaugurated by Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) sports secretary Sunil Dev. Kanwar Karan Singh, MLA, Dr D S Clair, Principal of Khalsa College and Mr Beni Madho Goswami, were also present.

Monday’s fixture: Central Warehousing Corporation vs District Cricket Association, Faridabad—Khalsa College ground; from 7.30 a m.

Scoreboard

Scindia Club: 146 all out in 34.4 overs

Sonu Vaid b Ravinder Bhandari 14 (1x4, 1x6, 25b)

Anshul Lamba c J Solanki b R Bhandari 14 (1x6, 16b)

Vishal Sharma b Joginder 1

Sunil Rawat c Manish Chawla b Jatin Khanna 7

J Solanki c Dhaavanjeet b Jatin Khanna 61 (4x4,79b)

Naresh Kumar run out 29 (2x4, 51b)

Sobers Joban c Parmod Bhatti (wk) b Joginder 6

Sant Ram c Parmod Bhatti b Jatin Khanna 1

P Negi c Ravi Yadav b Jatin Khanna 1

S Chaudhary not out 1

Extras (w6,1b3, nb2) 11 Fall of wicket: 1/29, 2/30, 3/30, 4/58, 5/122, 6/139, 7/142,8/144, 9/144.

Bowling: Ravinder Bhandari 6-1-12-0; Jitender Solanki 1-0-5-0; Tapeshwar Tyagi 2-0-19-0; Joginder 7.4-1-23-2; Jatin Khanna 8-1-30-5; Lalit Anand 5-1-21.0; Avinash Kumar 8-0-33-0.

Rajdhani Sports Club: 150 for 4 in 35.3 overs

Bhandari c S Chaudhary b S Rawat 26 (4x4, 1x6, 24b)

Manish Chawla not out 66 (7x4, 1x6, 106b)

Ravi Yadav lbw Anshul Lamba 33 (2x4, 1x6, 61b)

Suresh Kumar c Vishal Sharma b Anshul Lamba 4

Parmod Bhatti runt out (Sant Ram) 11 (2x4, 12b)

Lalit Anand not out 1

Extras (w3, lb1, nb5) 9 Fall of wickets: 1/38, 2/101, 3/112, 4/131

Bowling: Sunil Rawat: 5-0-28-1; Yoginder 2-0-11-0; Savit Chaudhary 5-1-18-0; Jitender Solanki 5-0-19-0; Sant Ram 6-0-19-0; Anshul Lamba 6-0-21-2; Vishal Sharma 1.3-0-11-0; Sobers Joban 1-0-3-0.

Budding cricketers keep their nose to the grindstone
A. Gulati

Rohtak, May 5
A bunch of budding Haryana cricketers presently attending a coaching camp organised by Haryana Cricket Association at Rohtak does not find it difficult to beat the extended hands of fielders. However, the guys do find it hard to beat the scorching sun.

The dream of playing for the country and glamour of cricket keep their stamina intact as they sweat it out for six to seven hours in the sultry weather. A visit to the camp venue reveals that there is no dearth of activities at the ongoing camp, being attended by state cricketers belonging to under-16 age group.

Braving the heat wave, the younger group of cricketers work very hard for nearly seven hours in a day spread over two sessions at two different venues learning finer points concerning various aspects of the game. Their coach and former Haryana Ranji cricketer Ashwani Kumar told the `NCR Tribune’ that keeping in view the hot weather, the morning session of training is held from 6 am to 9.30 am at Sat Priya coaching centre, where boys undergo a tough physical training schedule under the watchful eyes of experienced physical trainer Capt. K.B.Dogra.

The services of physiotherapist Dr Y.P.Mathur are also kept at the disposal of cricketers. Mr Ashwani Kumar disclosed that cricketers are provided with diet as advised by Dr Mathur. He said fielding, catching and running between the wicket practice consume most of the time in the morning session. The afternoon session is held at Rohtak Cricket Academy from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm where the cricketers encounter the fury of the sun. This session is devoted to the net practice. He also felt that with increasing temperature, the comfort level of trainees attending the camp is likely to be affected adversely.

But the Secretary of the Haryana Cricket Association, Mr Ranbir Singh Mahendera, told the ‘NCR Tribune’ a few days ago that if need arises, the camp will be converted into a day night affair as it was done last year when Haryana Ranji Cricketers encountered similar hot conditions.

Giving further details of the camp the coach Mr Ashwani Kumar said that there are separate nets for practice against spinners and pacers in the afternoon sessions. A trainee at the camp and skipper of the Haryana (u-16) squad last year, Kailash Saini said that the camp is proving useful especially to keep the cricketers physically fit in the off season.

The highest wicket taker and run getter of Haryana (u-16) squad last year, Prem Prateek told that he was enjoying every moment at the camp. He said that the display of videocassettes on cricket received from Board of Control for Cricket in India is an added attraction when the cricketers are indoors.