Stoma and wound-care workshop begins
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 16
A four-day-long Stoma and Wound care workshop, being organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations, began at the Christian Medical College and Hospital here today. The workshop has been organised in collaboration with D-3 Hollister, a US-based firm manufacturing ostomy products. Dr T.M. Jaison, Acting Director, CMCH inaugurated the workshop.

Dr Rajeev Kapoor, Deputy Medical Superintendent, in a press note issued here today said every year thousands of people undergo stoma surgery. Stoma is an artificial, temporary or permanent opening created on the abdominal wall. A stoma usually has its own set of problems for the patients who have to wear a pouch over the stoma for the collection of faecal material apart from that there are social and cultural problems associated with it. Though after the ostomy a person can lead a normal life, but he/she has to learn to adapt to the stoma which could be very challenging without proper guidance and complete knowledge.

CMCH has a fully functional specialised Stoma Clinic with trained nurses to provide complete support to the patients, said Dr Navneet Chaoudhry, Head of the Department of Surgery. “Stoma clinic is the backbone of the colorectal unit of the hospital”, added Dr Rajeev Kapoor, Professor of surgery and coordinator of the stoma clinic. Training nurses from farther regions of Jammu and Kashmir will be very beneficial as patients hailing from these areas will not have to travel long distances for stoma care, said Ms Sudesh David, the Nursing Superintendent of CMCH. 

IMA to hold rally today
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 16
The local unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to hold a rally at Mini Secretariat here tomorrow in protest against the arrest of two doctors allegedly involved in the kidney scam. This was decided at a meeting of the executive committee of the association held last evening. As many as 25 doctors participated.

The IMA requested the Chief Minister to give a fair hearing to the association. It was unanimous of the view that Dr Mahajan and Dr Sareen should not be made scapegoats. “When people like Amritpals are roaming scot-free and arranging kidneys, highly-educated people have been imprisoned”, said Dr Gursharan Singh, its president. The IMA was of the view that the doctor operating a patient was the last one to interfere in the whole procedure of transplant. Before that an executive magistrate, a sarpanch, a municipal councillor and authorisation committee were involved. “The undue haste by the police to start investigations with the last man in the whole episode puts doubt on the credibility of the police”, said doctors. Meanwhile, as a mark of protest the doctors will wear black badges and hang hoarding outside their clinics. The rally will be attended by members of the Samrala, Khanna, Mullanpur, Phillaur, Jagraon, Raikot and Doraha units.

The IMA has also written a letter to its head office in New Delhi giving all details of the incident.

The meeting was attended by Dr Gursharan Singh, Dr Rajesh Sharma, Dr Dhar, Dr Gurpreet Wander, Dr Rajoo Singh, Dr N.D. Avasthi, Dr A.S. Nagpal, Dr Rajiv Gupta, Dr Dinesh Trehan, Dr S. Nauhria, Dr Parvesh Dhall, Dr Geeta, Dr Mahesh Gupta, Dr Jasbir Singh, Dr Anurag Goswami and Dr Navdeep Khaira.

PCMS doctors seek CBI probe
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 16
Reacting to the arrest of doctors involved in the kidney racket in Amritsar, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter so that culprits can be brought to justice.

Dr Hardeep Singh, president of the association, said implication of only the doctors had given a bad name to the profession, while the real culprits were moving scot free. The culprits should be brought to book according to the Human Organ Transplant Act, 1994. He said it was unfair that all the blame was being put on doctors. To counter the hold of profiteers in human organ transplantation, the association members have resolved to donate their bodies for the benefit of society after their death. He said: “An object becomes a commodity when its supply is less and there is more demand. With the advent of voluntary organ donation for cadaver transplantation, there will be no more shortage of kidneys and this trade in human organs will stop”.

Dr Balwinder Kumar, district general secretary, said the PCMSA had decided to spearhead the campaign for popularising cadaver transplantation so that the eyes, kidneys, liver and other organs could be transplantated into needy patients. Even after death, a person could help more than five to seven human beings. He said to prevent trade in human organs, there was a need to provide alternative in the form of popularising of donation of organs after death for cadaver transplantation. This would also help motivate the living relatives of patients to donate their organs. This would fulfil the demand of kidneys required for organ transplant and check the trade in human organs. The PCMS members said rather than criticising the whole episode, there was a need for finding an alternative. The association has appealed to the government that adequate steps be taken by the Law and Justice Department to encourage people to donate body organs after death.

Sports meet at Jarkhar from Feb 7
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, January 16
The 17th edition of the annual rural sports, organised by the Mata Sahib Kaur Sports Club, will be held at Jarkhar village, 15 km from here, from February 7 to 9. This was informed by Mr Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Chairman of the organising club.

During the three-day festival, competitions in hockey (boys and girls), kabaddi (boys), football (boys), volleyball, tug-of-war and dog races will be held. The club will honour two star sportsmen- Dhanraj Pilley and Ashok Dewan. They would be given the ‘Olympian Surjit Singh Memorial’ award. Mr Kulwant Singh Boparai would be awarded with the Amarjit Singh Grewal award for promoting sports in this part of the state.

Mr Rajdeep Singh Gill, ADGP, Punjab and President, Punjab Basketball Association will inaugurate the rural sports on February 7.

Chess tourney: St Thomas Senior Secondary School, Brown Road, will take on BCM School, Shastri Nagar, in the final of the 2nd Sahodya School Complex Chess Tournament being played on St Thomas School campus.

St Thomas School registered a 4-0 win over BCM School, Chandigarh Road, while BCM School recorded a 4-0 win against Bharatiya Vidya Mandir School, Kithlu Nagar. For the third position, BCM School, Shastri Nagar, will clash with Bharatiya Vidya Mandir School.

Sports meet by Lions Club: To promote the cause of sportsmanship and brotherhood among the families of the club members and to encourage handicapped persons, Lions Club International District 321-F comprising 160 clubs, having strength of more than 6,000 members in Punjab and the UT, will organise a mega event, “Lions Olympic Games-2003”, at the grounds of Arya College for Boys on January 19. Family members of all club members of District 321-F will take part in various events in athletics and other fun games.

Mr Prem Grover, chairman of the function, said Founders Day will also be celebrated in which dignitaries from international, multiple and various lions districts of India and renowned personalities in the field of sports will grace the occasion. Children of club members who have excelled in the field of sports and brought laurels by achieving distinction at state, national and international levels will be honoured. Sportspersons who have won medals in various fields of sports will also be invited for recognition and honour.

Players’ allowance enhanced: The management board of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has enhanced the players’ allowance. According to a press note issued here today by PAU, Mr Gopal Dass, Comptroller, has vide a notification informed that the daily allowance given to the players, sports in charge and the assistants attending coaching camps has been revised and now they will receive Rs 80. A sum of Rs 30 per sportsman and per sports woman will also be given during the period of journey, the note read.

Kila Raipur sports meet from January 30
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, January 16
The annual sports festival at Kila Raipur, near here, popularly known as mini Olympics, will be held at the Grewal Sports Stadium from January 30 to February 2. Mr Paramjit Singh Grewal, general secretary, Grewal Sports Association, said this year the games would be dedicated to Joginder Singh, one of the pioneers of these sports. The games in the women’s section will be dedicated to Gurdish Kaur Sandhu.

On the opening day, time trial in bullock-cart races will be conducted, while competition in hockey, athletics, races for primary schools students, veterans’ races, cycle races, kabaddi (one village, open, 65-kg category, academies and for girls), ‘suhaga’ race besides rare feats by the participants such as lifting of sacks, loading and unloading of tractor-trailers will be held on January 31, February 1 and 2.

The winners in the men’s hockey will be awarded with the Bhagwant Memorial Gold Cup, a running trophy weighing 100 tolas of gold. Giddha, bhangra, horse exhibition by the ‘Nihangs’ and dare-devil performance by Punjab Police jawans will be the main attraction of the mega event.

Popular Punjabi singers will entertain the public on all four days. The programmes prepared by the North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, will also be presented. The association will also felicitate young promising sportsmen and women.