HEALTH

Cosmetic surgery a necessity, says surgeon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25
Terming cosmetic surgery as a necessity and not a luxury, the first Indian to become an International Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr B.P. Singh, said seeing the need of the hour it was high time that government introduced it as a separate faculty in medical colleges and hospitals.

Dr Singh, who has earned world recognition by modifying the liposuction and lipo-injection techniques, now being used by plastic surgeons world over, is providing the latest facilities to patients, including a large number of NRI’s at his hospital in Jalandhar. The new liposuction technique, perfected by him, has been named after him as “Singh’s Liposuction” and “Singh’s Lipo injection.”

He feels cosmetic surgery needs to be incorporated into the curriculum of medical colleges, so that there are qualified professionals in the field and people are not fleeced by “self styled” doctors. “Since cosmetic surgery is an upcoming field a large number of patients whose cases have been spoilt by such unqualified people approach me to undo the damage and bail them out,” he informs.

He regretted that despite a lot of such unqualified people operating in the field, the government has failed to take action against them. “When no action is taken against quacks, who while posing as doctors play with the lives of doctors, expecting action from the government side is hoping for too much,” he opines.

Dr Singh is of the firm opinion that cosmetic surgery is not just for the elite as the relatively low prices in India, makes it quite affordable for even middle class people. “Since in many cases the quality of life and confidence of a patient improves drastically, I feel it is a necessity and not a luxury, as it is projected out to be,” he explains.

Despite being flocked by large number of NRI patients, Dr Singh continues to offer his services at very reasonable rates, from his only cosmetic surgery centre at Jalandhar. “If I open up centres in other cities I shall not be able to devote much time for interaction with patients, which I feel is important,” he says, not willing to go commercial on a large scale. He claims his rates too are barely 40 per cent of what cosmetic surgeons in Mumbai and Delhi are charging for the same procedures.

Dr Singh says though it is people from the glamour and media world like models who approach him but an equal number of boys and girls in the marriageable age group seek his services.

The number of awards and honours given to Dr Singh, includes Fellowship by the Australian College of Cosmetic Surgery, Sydney, Rashtriya Chikitsak Ratna Award, World Leader of Cosmetic Surgery Award and Best Scientific Presentation award at a conference in California.

NPA withdrawal starts pre-mature retirement trend
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25
Punjab Government’s decision to withdraw non-practicing allowance (NPA) being given to doctors, could lead to a number of medical officers working with the UT Health Department seeking pre-mature retirement, so as to avoid deduction in their pension.

Since the notification issued by the Punjab Government would be applicable from August 1, three doctors working with the UT Health Department have already put in their papers, seeking pre-mature retirement.

According to sources Dr Gurdeep Kaur, Head of Gynaecology and Dr Rupinder Kaur, Head of Paediatrics at General Hospital and Assistant Director, Malaria, Dr J.K. Kalra, have sought pre-mature retirement.

“Since Punjab rules are applicable in UT, there is a possibility that quite a few doctors, with little service left will put in their papers since with the withdrawal of NPA, they stand to lose over Rs 3,000 in their pension,” explained a senior doctor. He said the withdrawal of NPA would lead to a deduction ranging between Rs 6,000 to 10,000, depending on the number of years of service of a doctor, he added.

The notification issued on July, 22 will be applicable from August 1, for all PCMS doctors, including the ones working in other states and in research and medical institutes. “They are permitted to undertake private practice, provided it does not adversely affect the performance of their official duties,” reads the notification.

While granting permission to doctors to do private practice, the fee they earn on this account will have to be shared with government in the ratio of 2:1. “Not only will the public suffer but as majority of the doctors are also against the move, as all do not wish to do private practice,” said a doctor. He said the decision was not practical, as it would be difficult to keep a check on doctors doing private practice during duty hours and the amount of money earned by them.

Officials in the UT Health Department said there was a possibility of some more doctors seeking pre-mature retirement.

Rare endoscopic neurosurgery
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 25
A rare endoscopic neurosurgery for removing colloid cyst in the brain has been successfully performed by Dr Anupam Jindal at Kaiser Hospital here. The hospital claims that this is the first time that such an advanced surgery has been performed in the region, north of Delhi.

The hospital had received a patient from Rakhra village, near Patiala, on July 17, who had a cyst of 12 mm diameter in his brain. The patient, 29-year-old Amarinder Singh, was operated upon at Kaiser Hospital on July 18. He has now fully recovered after the removal of the cyst and was discharged from the hospital today.

It is learnt that colloid cysts are rare brain tumours which occur in the third ventricle of the brain. In Amarinder Singh’s case, the location of the tumour was such that it was blocking the flow of cerebro spinal fluid, which could prove fatal, if ignored. The location of these tumours is deep in the brain and difficult to approach surgically as conventional surgery requires a large opening in the skull and brain tissue handling is excessive because of its location.

Dr Jindal said that an opening of 1. 5 cm was made in the patient’s skull and the tumour was, thus, removed endoscopically. 

Haryana officers badminton meet from today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25
All arrangements have been completed to host the two-day first Haryana Government Officers Badminton Championship to be held in Indoor Badminton Hall of the Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula, on July 26 and 27. This was stated by Mr Devinder Singh, chairman, organising committee of the championship, here today.

Mr Devender Singh, president, Haryana Badminton Association, and also the Managing Director, HAFED, said that Mr A.N. Mathur, Chief Secretary, Haryana, will declare the championship open, while Mr B.R. Lall, Chairman-cum-Managing-Director, Haryana Police Housing Corporation, will preside over the function.

He said nearly 100 entries from the police, the HSIDC, the Haryana Civil Secretariat, the Army, the Customs, HAFED and various other departments and corporations had been received.

Mr M.S. Malik, Director-General of Police, Mr D.S. Dhesi, Commissioner, Sports, Mr Devender Singh and several other senior officers would participate in the event.

278 sports wing seats for 22 schools
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, July 25
In a significant decision which will boost school sports in the city, the Sports Department, Chandigarh Administration, has decided to allot 278 sports wing seats to 22 schools of the city and 201 sports wing seats to various coaching centres run by the department itself.

The selection trials for these sports wings will begin from July 28 and continue up to July 31. Giving this information, Mr J.P.S. Sidhu, Joint Director Sports, said school and college students along with bonafide students would be allowed to appear for the trials. He said the department would train the selected students in the age group 14-18. They would be provided with incentives in the form of playing kit of Rs 1,500 along with Rs 3,500 as cash prize. Mr Sidhu said the coaches concerned would also be awarded on giving good results.

Cricket tourney: St John's High School, Sector 26, Chandigarh will hold the annual inter-house cricket tournament beginning July 28. This five-day tournament will be held in the under-12, 14 and 16 sections. The matches will be played in the afternoon hours i.e 2.30 pm onwards.

Rock Rovers lose
Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, July 25
The Wanders Club won by a narrow margin of one goal when they outplayed the Rock Rovers Club by 11 goals to 10 in the Olympian Dharam Singh memorial six-a-side hockey tournament played under floodlights at Hockey Stadium, Sector 18, here today.

The half-time score was 5-4 and the match till the end was played on even terms. For the winners, international Inderjit Chadha scored three goals and was declared man of the match. For losers, Saurbah Bishnoi also scored three goals.

ADMINISTRATION

UT may raise retirement age
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25
The Chandigarh Administration is considering a proposal to raise the retirement age of its employees to 60 years on the Central pattern. The move, if approved, will benefit thousands of employees who now retire from government service at the age of 58 years on the Punjab pattern. These include employees in the Education, Transport, Police, Engineering, Health, Industries, Environment, Excise and Taxation, Sports, Social Welfare and other departments, besides the estate office, municipal corporation and boards and corporations.

Besides extension in service, the employees will be entitled to bonus as admissible to Central Government employees. In Punjab, no bonus has been paid for the past several years because of financial crunch. The move owes its origin to a demand from various employees’ unions which have submitted memoranda to the Administration, stressing that the retirement age should be raised to 60 years because they were employees of a Centrally administered territory. The retirement age of the Central government employees was raised a few years ago following the implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission.

Employees of Chandigarh have traditionally enjoyed the best of both worlds. Whenever they are given an option at the time of the implementation of new pay scales, they prefer to opt for a state or the Centre which offers them the best deal in terms of pay scales and service conditions. When Chandigarh came into being in 1966, the Punjab Reorganisation Act laid down that the UT employees will follow the pay scales and service conditions of Punjab. Later these provisions were amended following representations from the employees. The employees pay scales are on the pattern of Punjab but are governed by the Central service conditions. Hence, the demand for a raise in retirement age.

Admn to give relief to fire victims

Chandigarh, July 25
In order to provide “instant relief” to the victims of fire in Janata Rehri Market, Mani Majra, the UT Administration has decided to provide them financial aid. After a survey, the Administration has concluded that a total of 40 persons had suffered losses in the July 21 fire.