HEALTH

We'll repeat 1992, say PGI Resident Doctors
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 21
Resident Doctors of the PGI hardened their stand here today on the issue of joining the evening OPD, saying that the doctors’ decision to continue with the present duties, too, would depend on the reaction of the PGI authorities to the doctors’ demand.

“In the present situation, it will not be surprising if the doctors go on a strike,” said a senior doctor of the PGI. In 1992, the PGI resident doctors had been on strike for four days, which had crippled the services here, he said.

As the stalemate over the issue of introducing the evening OPD in the PGI from December 2 continues, the resident doctors are awaiting the return of the Union Health Minister, Mr Shatrughan Sinha, from Chicago, tonight. “We will meet Union minister Mr S.K. Naik tomorrow when he inaugurates a conference in the PGI,” said the doctors.

Meanwhile, the doctors handed over a copy of the decisions taken by the doctor's union to each of the department heads in the PGI. According to the union’s decision, even doctors put on the evening-OPD duty would not join duty on December 2. All resident doctors are united on the stand, it was said.

“Even if the minister asks us to join the evening OPD, we will not relent, but refuse to do even our present duties,” resident doctors said. “The introduction of the evening OPD here seems to be an experiment by the Health Minister and the PGI Director, the result of which will be poor medical services, affecting the reputation of the institute,” said senior doctors.

“The authorities and senior doctors admit that, with a 16-hour duty schedule, it is impossible for us to take up the responsibility of the evening OPD. However, they don’t have the courage to dispute the populist scheme of the minister,” said resident doctors.

Inconvenience in PGI Emergency
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 21
With the chemist shop at PGI Emergency remaining closed for the last four days, the patients and their attendants are facing a lot of inconvenience.

With the shop being inside the Emergency, people had no problem in getting medicines but as the shop has remained closed since November 18, they are facing inconvenience, said one of the PGI employee posted in the Emergency.

Disclosing the reason behind the chemist shop remaining closed, a PGI official said since the lease of the owner of the shop had expired, it had been given to a new person, who would start it at the earliest. He added that the people are being guided to go to the two shops located in the PGI shopping complex, located behind the Dental Department or to the new OPD block.

“We are helping the people by telling them the way to the shops, but they are finding it difficult as the new OPD is located almost half a kilometre away from the Emergency,” said a security personnel. It was during the night that people were facing more difficulty as they cannot locate the chemist shops easily, he added.

SPORTS

Dev Samaj girls win basketball titles
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, November 21
The basketball team of IS Dev Samaj Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, once again proved their prowess in basketball when they brought laurels to the school by claiming two titles in the UT inter-school basketball meet. Dev Samaj girls led by their star players Shveta, Prabhjot and Amandeep defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 18, by a margin of 38 points in the below-19 age group. In the under-17 section, Dev Samaj players overwhelmed Government Model High School, Sector 26.

Judo meet

Priyanka and Jyotsna both of the MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, Chandigarh, secured gold medal each in the 57 kg and 63 kg sections, respectively, on the first day of the Panjab University Inter-College Judo (women) Championship played here today at Gymnasium Hall. Other winners in various weight categories include: Kanwaljit of GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, in below 44 kg, Jagjit Kaur of GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, in below 48 kg, Deepak of GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, in below 52 kg, Aarti Sharma, again of GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, in below 70 kg, Rajwana of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, in below 78 kg and Aarti Sharma of GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, in open weight section.

The overall championship was grabbed by Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, while MCM DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, got second place, Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana, secured third place while Government College for girls, Sector 11, was placed fourth.

St Kabir win

St Kabir Public School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, and Little Flower Convent School, Panchkula, won their respective matches against Tender Heart School, Chandigarh, by 24 runs and St Joseph’s School, Chandigarh, by five wickets on the second day of the ICSE inter-school cricket tournament played here today at St Stephen’s School, Sector 45.

Weightlifting teams

A 12-member UT weightlifting team comprising eight men and four women have been selected by the Chandigarh Weightlifting Association for its participation in the Northern India Weightlifting Championship to be held at NOIDA (UP) from November 23 to 25. The team is (men) — Manwar, Daljinder Singh, Kamaldeep Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Vikas, Parminder Singh and Gurpreet Singh and (women) — Manisha Kumari, Madhulika, Sarbjeet Kaur and Meena Dogra; and (officials) — H.S. Bansal (manager) and D.S. Bains (coach).

Selection trials

The UT Education Department will hold the selection trials to select Chandigarh schools teams in various disciplines for the National School Games to be held at Delhi from December 23 to 28. The trials will be held in: handball (Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35)-boys under-19 — November 26; boys under17 — November 27; girls under19 — November 28; and girls under17 — November 29; hockey (Hockey Stadium, Sector 18) boys-19 on November 26; and girls-19 on November 27; baseball (GSSS-27) boys unde-19 — November 26; and girls under-19 — November 27.

Roller skating (Skating Rink, Sector 10): boys under-19 — November 26; boys under-17 — November 27; boys under-14 — Novemebr 28; girls under-19 — November 28; girls under-17 — November 29; and girls unde-14 — November 30.

Cricket boys under-16 at Cricket Stadium, Sector 16 on November 26; judo (judo hall, Sector 42) boys under-19 — November 26; under-17 — November 27; boys under-14 — November 28; girls under-19 — November 29 and girls under-14 and 17 on November 30. Wrestling (Wrestling Hall, Sector 30): boys under-19 — November 26; boys under-17 — November 27 and boys under-14 — November 28.

Volleyball tourney

The Pauri Garhwal Iriyakot Malla Bhratri Sangathan, Chandigarh, will organise a volleyball tournament at Sector 30-B on November 23 and 24 to mark the silver jubilee of the sangathan. Mr Ram Prashad Sharmah, general secretary of the organisation, said this would be the 17th tournament organised by the sangathan.