HEALTH

Medical facilities to ex-servicemen
Monica Sharma

Chandigarh, September 23
Thirteen years after the Chandigarh Administration granted the facility of free medical treatment to ex-servicemen pensioners and their dependants at the Sector 16 General Hospital and its “allied dispensaries”, the Medical Superintendent-cum-Joint Director Health Services has asked the doctors concerned, besides the medical staff, to comply with the directions.

In a circular, the MS has written, “It has been observed and brought to my notice that these instructions are not being complied with properly. These instructions, allowing free treatment to the ex-servicemen pensioners and their entitled dependants, be brought to the notice of all Senior Medical Officers and Medical Officers, besides the medical staff, including clerical staff, for compliance”.

The circular has been addressed to the heads of all departments in the General Hospital, besides Senior Medical Officers and Medical Officers of Sector 22 and 45 polyclinics and dispensaries.

Going into the background of the instructions, the MS has added in the circular, “The UT Administrator vide order dated March 8, 1989, granted free medical treatment to the ex-servicemen pensioners and their entitled dependants on Punjab pattern. This was issued with concurrence of the Finance Department vide their letter dated February 10, 1989....”

The circular has been issued in less than a month after All India Ex- Servicemen Welfare Association alleged that the General Hospital and city dispensaries were charging fee from ex-servicemen. Association Chairman Bhim Sen Sehgal had added that instances had come to light where ex-servicemen and their families were being charged for their treatment as majority of medical officers and staff were ignorant about the instructions.

Giving details, he had added that the charges were being collected as registration fees and for carrying out the tests even though they were not required to pay for medical examination, not even for ECG or X-rays. Mr Sehgal had added that the ex-servicemen and their dependants were also entitled to get free prescribed medicines, if available in the hospital stores or dispensaries.

It was added that the ex-servicemen pensioners, to avail this facility, were required to produce discharge book or any other documents issued by the Chandigarh’s District Sainik Welfare Officer or by the All-India Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association as a proof of the fact that they were entitled to the facility.

In a notice issued on September 2, the Chandigarh’s Health Secretary, the Director Health Services and other authorities were also asked to clarify whether free treatment was available in the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital also, and whether the facilities were available for both indoor and outdoor patients.

The members had expressed the hope that the needful would be done at the earliest in an attempt to avoid any further inconvenience to ex-servicemen and their dependants.

SPORTS

Mongia to lead PCC team
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, September 23
Dinesh Mongia will lead the Punjab Cricket Club team which will take part in the forthcoming JP Attray Memorial Cricket Tournament to be held at the PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar. The Punjab Cricket Association is going to field two teams, one under the name — PCC and the other PCA colts which will have Sanjay Mahajan as the skipper. This was stated by Mr M.P. Pandove, secretary, PCA.

PCC team — Dinesh Mongia (captain), Reetinder Sodhi (vice-captain), Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Pankaj Dharmani, Munish Sharma, Ravneet Ricky, Ishan Malhotra, Sandeep Sanwal, Babloo Kumar, Vineet Sharma, Gagandeep Singh, Ankur Sondhi, Ankur Kakkar, Vivek Mahajan, Rajesh Sharma, VRV Singh and Varun Gupta.

PCA colts — Sanjay Mahajan (captain) Gaganinder Garry, Binwant, Gaurav Gupta, Amit Behal, Gaurav Sharma, Sachin, Chandan Madan, Navdeep Singh, Harish Puri, Harikrishan Kalli, Amit Uniyal, Kailash Sanwal, Varun Mishra, Karan Goel and Samrat Sharma.

MCA’s office-bearers

D.P. Reddy and G.S. Walia were unanimously re-elected as president and secretary, respectively, of the Mohali Cricket Association. The other office-bearers are, vice-presidents — Parag Jain, S.R. Ladhar, M.P. Pandove and G. Vajralingam; joint secretaries — M.L. Sharma and Arun Sharma; treasurer — P.S. Gill; and executive members — H.S. Dhillon, Daljit Singh, Urinder Singh, Yashveer Mahajan, Jasbir Singh, M.R. Batta, A.S. Shahi, Deepak Sharma, Kailash Chander, H.S. Bedi, Vijay Malhotra, B.B. Mani, Naresh Goel, Tej Kaul, Naresh Batta, Ajay Kanwar, Ajay Tyagi and Arun Bedi.

ITF course

About 30 coaches from various states of the country including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, and hosts Chandigarh took part in the AITA ITF course which commenced this morning at Sector 10 Tennis Stadium. The six-day course is being conducted by Mr Sunil Yajaman, Development Officer, AITA.

Basketball meet

The IVth SNOSA Basketball Championship-2002 will be held on September 28 and 29 in the grounds of Shishu Niketan Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 22. According to Mr H.S. Sachar, organising secretary of the meet, more than 12 teams from various schools of the city, SAS Nagar and Panchkula are expected to take part. A meeting of the executive council of the above meet was held today, which was chaired by Ms S. Khorana, Director Principal of the school. Entries close on September 26.

Selection trials

As many as 50 players took part in the two-day selection trials to select Chandigarh senior and junior (below-19) badminton teams which will take part in the North Zone Inter-State Badminton Championship to be held at Panjab University Gymnasium Hall from September 28 to 30. The men and junior boys will participate in the Rahimtullah Cup in men and Narang Cup in boys, while women to vie for Chadha Cup and girls for Shafi Qureshi Cup.

Cricket tourney

The next edition of the Blessed Edmund Rice Cricket Tournament will be held from October 15 at St John’s High School, Sector 26. The events will be held in various age groups: 12,14 and 16. This tournament has assmed significance in the past three years and lot of schools had evinced interest in participating in this meet.

Weightlifting meet

DAV College, Ambala city, won the team championship while DAV College, Naneola, bagged the women team championship in the Ambala District Weightlifting Championship, which concluded last evenng at Weightlifting Coaching Centre, Ambala city. Mr Manoj Kumar of the WCC was adjudged the best men weightlifter while Ms Rama Saini of the MD SD Girls College was chosen best weightlifter among the women.

MCA to construct new pavilion
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23
The Mohali Cricket Association has been granted permission to construct a pavilion and players’ dressing room facing the main pavilion. The MCA has been directed to complete the construction work before the international match against New Zealand which is scheduled to arrive in the country and play a match at SAS Nagar just after the World Cup.

Mr I.S. Bindra, president of the Punjab Cricket Association, said at SAS Nagar, near here, today. Fifty per cent of the revenue generated by the sale of tickets of the match would be taken by the Punjab Cricket Association, while the rest would go to the MCA. A sum between Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore was likely to be spent on the project.

In an effort to boost cricket, the Mohali Cricket Association has decided to introduce two age-group tournaments — in the under-15 and under-17 sections. Teams from Chandigarh, SAS Nagar, Patiala and Ludhiana would participate in the tournament. Disclosing this, Mr G.S. Walia, honorary secretary of the MCA, revealed that the MCA had also decided to institute two scholarships worth Rs 2,000 each per month to two deserving cricketers. 

PUSC’s meeting adjourned
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, September 23
The annual Panjab University Sports Committee (PUSC) meeting which was scheduled for today, was finally adjourned by its president Vijay Lakshmi Sharma owing to a technical point raised by two members of the executive committee. As per the press release issued by the Department of Public Relations, PU, the members raised objection that Honorary Director Sports SK Gupta cannot act as secretary, PUSC. The matter was then referred to the general body meeting which was attended by 47 members.

Later Dr Karmjit Singh Brar, vice-president, PUSC, Dr J.S. Gill, member of the executive body, PUSC, in a press release signed by 20 members, pointed to expenditure incurred by the officiating Director Sports (who is not having any financial power) on the renovation of the office and entertainment on some personal guests and second about the purchases done without adopting proper procedures, alleged the members.

These members have also demanded appointment of a regular Director Sports at the PU.