HEALTH

Holiday time for doctors, patients suffer
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
As half the doctors at the PGI and Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), enjoy their summer vacations, it is the patients who are facing inconvenience, especially those who have been anxiously waiting for their operation dates.

Doctors at the PGI proceed on one month summer vacation in two separate batches annually. “At present 152 doctors are on duty as the other half is on summer leave, from May 16 to June 14,” informed a PGI official. Those on duty these days would avail their summer vacation from June 16 to July 15.

The already long waiting list of operations at the PGI has further piled up as during the vacation period the planned surgeries are not held. Even though all emergency cases are being taken care of, those who were expecting to undergo surgery now, will have to wait for some more time.

“Since no teaching work is done during the holidays, those doctors, who are on duty, take care of all jobs and it is ensured that the patients do not face inconvenience,” said a PGI official.

“I was hoping to get an operation date by May-end, after a long wait of seven months, but as luck would have it, with the doctors proceeding on summer leave, my suffering will continue,” remarked a patient from Bathinda, who is waiting for his orthopaedic surgery.

Since half of the doctors are on leave it is the senior and junior resident doctors who help the consultants in taking care of patients. “Every time during the vacations, we, too, face inconvenience like the patients as we have to bear the extra burden with the OPD, ward and emergency duties.”

The situation is the same during the winter vacations also, even though it is for a shorter duration of 15 days. Patients face inconveniences as the work gets affected. The winter vacations are from mid-December to mid-January in two batches.

The situation is no different at Government Medical College and Hospital as well. Here too it is holiday time, as half of the doctors are on one-month summer vacation. Certain departments like orthopaedics and anaesthesia, are the worst hit as the scheduled operations are further delayed.

The fact that health facilities in the region are not so good and people from Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttranchal, Punjab and Haryana also come to the PGI for treatment, patients do come in for some amount of inconvenience even if the authorities chose to deny it.

Admn approaches ministry on GMCH Director issue
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The Chandigarh Administration has sought the intervention of the Union Health Ministry to sort out the issue of selecting the new Director Principal of Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. A clarification has been sought from the Ministry on a letter of the Medical Council of India (MCI) which has raised objections on the mode of selection adopted by the Administration.

The Administration has now asked the Health Ministry to clarify what to do in light of the letter from the MCI which says deputation is not the method to fill up the post of Director Principal. The MCI has objected to deputationists saying this was incorrect. It may be re-collected that the MCI had objected to deputationists even when appointments of lecturers and professors were being made a few years ago. The MCI had stalled the process of recognition of the GMCH till regular appointments were made to replace deputationists.

Interestingly, the Health Ministry has framed and notified the rules for selection of all posts to the GMCH in consultation with the MCI. Sources said deputation is one of the two modes of appointment as Director Principal. Other is direct recruitment by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The other method is appointment on deputation by the Chandigarh Administration in consultation with the UPSC.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a separate development, has written to the Administration saying that the present Director Principal of the GMCH, Prof S.B. S. Mann, will continue till a successor is appointed.

This means Prof Mann will continue beyond his scheduled date of completion of tenure on June 30. Prof Mann is on deputation to the GMCH from the PGI. The post at the GMCH is a selection post where senior doctors come on deputation and the appointment is made in consultation with the Union Public Service Commission of India (UPSC).

The Administration had conducted an informal interview with five doctors who were considered eligible. Among those to be interviewed were Dr A.J. Kanwar, Dr Kiranjot Kaur and Dr Geeta.

Rare spine surgery
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
A rare keyhole surgery of the spine was performed at the Mukat Hospital and Heart Institute with the help of the latest technique called endoscopic micro discectomy, for the first time in the region.

A 30-year-old patient, Raj Kumar from Kaithal, had been diagnosed with having a slipped disc along with severe sciatica of the right leg.The surgery was performed on May 21, eliminating the need for big incision, extensive dissections, severe pain and longer hospital stay associated with traditional spine surgery.

Dr Mohinder Kaushal, spine and orthoscopy surgeon who operated upon Raj Kumar, said technological advances over the last decade had made spine surgery possible through small holes as a result of which the patient underwent much less pain and recovery was much faster.

“Ever since I met with an accident three years back, I have been facing a lot of problem and 15 days before the surgery I could not even move on my own,” said Raj Kumar. He said even though he had visited a number of doctors at Ambala, Kaithal, Patiala and Ludhiana he could not get relief.

Dr Kaushal said that the disc, which was pressing the nerve, was removed during the surgery, which was the main cause for the pain. He says the surgery was slightly more expensive and cost about Rs 40,000. He added that with a much shorter hospital stay, the surgery cost came down considerably and the patient could be back to work at the earliest as recovery was very fast. 

Evening OPDs discontinued
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The evening OPD services at the PGI will now be history. Much to the relief of PGI doctors, the evening OPD services, started in December last year, have finally been done away with.

The relief and happiness over the decision of discontinuing the evening OPD services was all too evident on the faces of the doctors who were on duty on the last day today. Being the brainchild of a former Union Health Minister, Mr Shatrughan Sinha, it was with great reluctance that the PGI took on the additional responsibility.

Started with much fanfare on December 2 last year, the facility failed to attract patients as the facility of investigations and laboratory tests was not provided. The facility was started in six faculties of General Surgery, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, ENT, Medicine and Gynaecology.

“While initially there were at least about 50 patients, but contrary to our expectations, the number fell to barely 20 or even less during summer months,” said a senior doctor. It was seeing the poor response to the facility that the Union Health Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, decided to discontinue the facility.

The issue of evening OPDs brought senior and junior residents on a virtual warpath with the PGI administration as they threatened to go on a strike in case they were forced to take on the additional responsibility.

Health camps from June 2
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The UT Health Department will hold medical and health awareness camps in slum areas of the city from June 2.

Medical specialists from the Sector 16 General Hospital will examine patients in slum colonies under family welfare programmes. The first camp will be held at Bapu Dham Colony at the Anganwari Centre on June 2 between 8 to 12.30 p.m.

Other camps will be held during the same timing at Colony Number 4 on June 9, civil dispensary at Mauli Jagran on June 16, civil dispensary Ram Darbar on June 23, dispensary run by Servants of People Society in Colony Number 5 on June 30 and Community Centre Mandir in Nehru Colony on July 7.

A therapy sans medicines
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, May 30
In today’s tension-ridden world, where a majority of the people suffer from various ailments, the Su Jok therapy has come as a panacea. This therapy teaches one to remain healthy without taking medicines. (Su means hands and Jok refers to feet).

It was devised more than four decades ago by a South Korean Professor, Park Jae Woo. Prof Sateesh Arora, based in Sector 45 here, has received training from Professor Park and another world renowned expert, Dr Petro Kova Tamara.

He told this correspondent that unlike medicinal treatment, here one need not apply pressure, needles or administer medicines. He said one just had to locate the pain points and give them gentle massage by a Su Jok machine. When asked if such treatment had to be given repeatedly, he said it depended on the nature of the ailment.

Such treatment could be given regularly at home, since one could easily learn the technique on one’s own, he added.

Professor Arora, who has undergone nearly a year of rigorous training from leading experts of Su Jok therapy, said various chronic ailments like depression, arthritis, joint pain, ligament rupture, migraine, diabetes, menstrual disorders, heart problems, kidney problems, etc could also be treated. So far he has treated people from various fields, be it lecturers, sportspersons, advocates or so.

Professor Arora began treating people suffering from various diseases about five months ago. He said though this therapy was new to this part of the region, he wanted to spread the benefits accruing from it to other parts of the country. To begin with, Chandigarh and its nearby areas are his first priority.

SPORTS

Isha in girls’ under-18 final
Arjun powers way into boys’ under-18 final
Tribune Reporters

In the boys’ under-14 section, Vijayant Malik outplayed Manav Dhawan 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; while Navinder Pal Singh downed Shiva Sangwan 6-0, 6-1. Results: boys’ under-14 (semi-finals): Vijayant Malik b Manav Dhawan 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Navinder Pal Singh b 4-Shiva Sangwan 6-0, 6-1; girls’ under-14 (semi-finals): Inayat Khosla b Tanya Kapoor 6-0, 6-2; Alisha Talwar b Ankita Singh 2-6, 6-2, 6-0; boys’ under-18 (semi-finals): Arjun Talwar b Rajkanwar Singh 6-1, 6-0; Izreek Singh b Tushar Garg 7-5, 3-6, 7-5; girls’ under 18 (semi-finals): Isha Toor b Inayat Khosla 6-4, 6-2; Alipt Sandhu b Alisha Talwar 7-6, 6-2; girls’ under-18 (quarter-finals): Isha Toor b Navjot Saini 6-1, 6-0; Inayat Khosla b Amanpreet Kaur 6-2, 6-4; Alipt Sandhu b Ujala Joshi 6-1, 6-3; Alisha Talwar b Satvika Saboo 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; doubles — boys’ under-18 (semi-finals): Tushar Garg/ Divanshu Singh b Manav Dhawan/Harmanbir Singh 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Izreek Singh/Arjun Talwar b Manjit Singh/ Rajkanwar Singh 7-6, 6-4; boys’ under-18 (quarter-finals): Tushar Garg/ Divanshu Singh b Pritam Singh/ Navinder Pal Singh 6-4, 6-3, Manav Dhawan/ Harmanbir Singh b Arjun Som Sekhar/ A. Das Gupta 6-3, 6-2, Manjit Singh/ Rajkanwar Singh b Sunil Kumar/ Nikhil Sharma 6-3, 6-3; Izreek Singh/ Arjun Talwar b Sanjog Kapoor/ Harkamal Singh 6-3, 6-2.

Cricket tournament

A day-night cricket tournament will be organised by Rai Tent Service from June 1 in Sector 41.

According to a press note, the winning team will get a cash prize of Rs 10,000 while the first runners up will get Rs 3,100.

Condolence meeting

PATIALA: The Punjab Sports Authority of India Coaches Association held a condolence meeting here on Friday to mourn the death of two SAI coaches who died in a car accident last week.

Birenderpal Singh Chahal, a senior SAI hockey coach posted at Bathinda, and Avtar Singh, Assistant Director, SAI, posted at the SAI training centre at Badal village, had died when their car rammed into a truck near Tarn Taran.

ADMINISTRATION

Mini-secretariat to house SDM office
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, May 30
The Ropar administration has asked the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) for a specific location within the township for the construction of a mini-secretariat. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, Ms Seema Jain, at a meet-the-Press organised by the Press Club, Mohali, here today.

Regarding the vacation notices given to the SDM and the tehsildar offices here by PUDA, she said to tide over the immediate problem of re-location of these offices, the district administration had asked PUDA to arrange for an alternative site. “It has been decided at a meeting with the PUDA headquarters that space be left for a mini-secretariat building which will ultimately house the SDM and related offices”, she said.

Ms Jain said the PUDA headquarters building was almost ready for occupation in Sector 62 here. About the Municipal Council office in Sector 68 she said. “The plans sent by the MC office to PUDA have been okayed and construction will begin soon.

The Ropar administration has spent 95 per cent of the total grants sanctioned for “Sarv Sikhia Abhiyaan.” “More than 350 schools in the district have been given Rs 42,000 grant under the scheme. Three new tubewells are being installed to overcome the problem of water shortage and the missing link on the Phase XI-Chandigarh road will be built shortly,” she said

Accompanied by the Superintendent of Police here, Mr Harcharan Singh Bhullar and the Subdivisional Magistrate, Mr M.L. Sharma, the DC also said the health authorities in the township had been instructed to keep a vigil on the quality of water being consumed in various colonies in and around the township.

The DC gave assurance to the president of the club, Mr Bhupinder Singh, that she would ask the Punjab Government to create the post of an Assistant Public Relations Officer in the town. She also announced a grant of Rs 25,000 for the Press Club.

Admn rejects MC resolution on cattle
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The Chandigarh Administration has rejected a resolution of the Municipal Corporation seeking a stop on impounding of cattle in five villages falling under the area of the MC. A formal order will be passed tomorrow and conveyed to the MC, sources said.

The MC had passed a resolution on April 29 seeking that a drive to impound cattle should be stopped and sought that people carrying out dairy farming should be allotted lands elsewhere. The MC had sought time of six months. The Administration rejected the demand of the MC to allot land for dairy farming or to stop the challaning drive. Under normal procedure the MC passed a resolution and which then went to the Chandigarh Administration to be whetted or for approval. The Administration reserved the right to accept or reject any proposal.

Sources in the Administration said the position was clear there shall be cattle in the municipal limits.

Warm send-off for Ramsekhar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
Mr M Ramsekhar, who was relieved of his charge as Deputy Commissioner yesterday, was given a formal farewell at the UT Secretariat today. The UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma, hosted a tea party for him.

Almost all officers of the Chandigarh Administration and the municipal corporation were present at the farewell. They re-counted how Mr Ramsekhar had made a difference to the city during his four-year stay here. A senior officer said Mr Ramsekhar was an upright man.