Workshop on PNDT Act concludes
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 22
A two-day training workshop on the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, (PNDT Act) ended today. The authorities concerned from Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh attended it. The workshop was aimed at checking female foeticide.

The Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Panchkula, conducted the workshop. The training for the third batch began today. Dr B.S. Dahiya, Director-General, Health Services, said the institute had already conducted two-day training courses for two batches of the authorities of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh in February in which 44 persons took part. He added that in the present batch 24 persons were being imparted training and these included civil surgeons, district programme officers and SMOs from Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.

He said to check female foeticide, the PNDT Act, banning disclosure of sex of foetus, had been enforced from January 1, 1996, throughout the country.

He said the authorities were being imparted training on various legal and administrative aspects in relation to the implementation of the PNDT Act.

Yesterday, while inaugurating the workshop, the Commissioner and Secretary, Women and Child Development, Mr S.P. Sharma, apprised the participants of the social and cultural reasons behind this problem, and the need for the sincere implementation of the PNDT Act.

Acute shortage of anaesthesiologists
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22
Even as the demand for anaesthesiology services outside the operating room is steadily increasing, there is an acute shortage of anaesthesiologists in the country. As against a requirement of one lakh, there are only 25,000 professionals in the field.

“Despite the fact that anaesthesiologists are now involved in medical and paediatric oncology, radiation therapy, endoscopy and diagnostic and interventional radiology, the country still faces an acute shortage of professionals in this field “said Dr A.K. Bhattacharya, Senior Consultant and critical care specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. He was here to attend the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Update organised by the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here today.

Over 300 delegates from all over the country were attending the two-day Anaesthesia Update. He said the latest advancements in the field of anaesthesia now enabled surgery even in patients who had serious problems like diabetes. “Though under such circumstances the surgery should be postponed but if it is an emergency an anaesthesiologist can take care of it effectively,” he said.

While expressing concern over the acute shortfall of anaesthesiologists in the country the participants felt that their role had become much more wider. They added that the last two decades had seen more and more medical students opting for anaesthesiology by choice and not through default.

The Head of Anaesthesia at GMCH, Prof K.K. Gombar, said the anaesthesiologists were now undertaking activities once reserved for other specialities, which included pre-operative risk assessment, formerly the preserve of physicians and cardiologists. He added that the public was not aware of the crucial role played by an anaesthesiologist and felt that his role was confined only to the operation theatre, whereas he contributed to operating room management, proper assessment and pain clinic management.

He further said anaesthetic interventions could influence outcomes previously believed to be primarily medical or surgical. 

Research Award for PGI Professor
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, march 22
Prof Pratibha Singhi, Paediatrics Department, PGI, has been awarded Asian Research Award in recognition of her contribution to advancements in understanding infantile seizures.

The award was given to Professor Singhi on occasion of the sixth annual meeting of the Infantile Seizure Society at Tokyo on March 15. The National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) has selected two Fellows and five Members from the PGI faculty. Those selected as Fellows for year 2002-03 include Prof Kartar Singh, Head of Gastroenterology, and Dr Neelam Marwah, Head of Blood Transfusion Medicine .

Those selected as Members include Dr Surjit Singh from Paediatrics, Dr J.R. Bapuraj, Radio Diagnosis, Dr Archana Sood, Internal Medicine, Dr H.S. Kohli, Nephrology, and Dr Vijay Goni from Orthopaedics.

SPORTS

Beyant joins Total Tennis Academy
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, March 22
Wing Commander Beyant Singh (retd) has joined the Total Tennis Academy as its chief coach at the YMCA centre. The academy runs three centres in Chandigarh and Panchkula having more than 200 trainees on its roll.

Giving this information, Mr Devender Kapoor, director of the academy, said Beyant Singh had been one of the strongest pillars of tennis coaching in the region. He had earlier served the CLTA from 1987 onwards as chief coach. Later, Beyant remained the coach of the Indian junior team in 1989 in Hong Kong, and the coach of the Indian Davis Cup team against Japan in 1990. He also remained the national veteran champion in 1986 and 1992 and also represented India in the World Veterans Championship in 1991 at Hungary.

Beyant Singh, a qualified diploma holder from the NIS had also trained Indian services tennis team for 17 years. He also served as chief coach of the CLTA, Sector 10, for four years. Kapoor was of the view that with the joining of Beyant Singh, the Total Tennis Academy will get immense help to train youngsters.

ADMINISTRATION

Disabled to get booths at concessional rate
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22
The UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), today approved a policy to give 50 per cent concession in the reserve price of land for booths to be allotted to disabled persons. With this, Chandigarh becomes the first city in the country to offer such concessions to the disabled.

It has also been decided to reserve three per cent of the total number of sites available for persons with disabilities. As more than 1800 booths have been allotted till now by the Administration, it has been decided to earmark 54 booths for allotment to persons with disabilities.

The Chandigarh Housing Board has already notified a scheme to allot residential flats to disabled persons. The Administration is also taking steps to make the city barrier-free zone for persons with disabilities.

Suitable amendments are being made in the architectural bylaws to ensure that persons with disabilities have a barrier-free access to every public building.