HEALTH

CMCH starts rural health centre
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 2
The Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) has started patient medical services at its rural health centre at Malsianbhaike village. Stating this here today, the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr Rajiv Kapoor, said the rural centre had been constructed by the Development and Welfare Trust run by a UK-based NRI, Mr Gurdev Singh Sidhu.

He said the trust was actively involved in the welfare of girl child and the elderly. With the opening of the rural centre, the need for an accessible primary health care centre in the village has been fulfilled. The inauguration function was attended by representatives of the village and surrounding areas along with Dr John Pramod, Assistant Director, and Mr N.S. Chahal of the CMCH.

Dr John Pramod said with the help of local villagers, the CMCH would now be able to open its second rural centre in the region. The other primary centre is operational at Rauwal village since the month of April this year. He explained that like the Rauwal centre, the centre would also be run by the Physiology Department of the CMCH and would initially have the OPDs on Monday and Fridays between 9.30 am to 1.30 pm. On the first day, over 80 patients took the benefit of the OPD services under the general medicine, gynaecology and eye specialities. 

PCMS doctors to get allowance
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 2
The PCMS doctors will continue to get their pay inclusive of the NPA till a comprehensive and workable organisational and financial restructuring plan is prepared to meet the objective.

This was stated by Dr Hardeep Singh, state president, and Dr Balwinder Kumar, district general secretary of the PCMS Association, in a press note here today. They said they had received a copy of notification orders to restore the NPA in the pay of PCMS doctors from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, released recently.

Dr Hardeep Singh said the order had been issued with concurrence of Chief Minister, Punjab. The Principal Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare has forwarded the letter to the Director, Health Services and all Civil Surgeons in charge of districts, directing them to ensure that the pay bills for the current month should be prepared without deducting the NPA.

He said the copy had also been forwarded to the Principal Secretary, Department of Finance, Punjab, for the information and necessary action, requesting him to convey the ex post facto approval of the Finance Department at the earliest. Mr K.R. Lakhanpal, Principal Secretary, Department of Finance, has also assured the association of early issuance of directions to the District Treasury Officers.

PCMS back decision on allowance
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 2
the PCMS Post-Graduate Association has welcomed the decision of a high-powered committee to make Non-Practice Allowance optional for doctors. A meeting of the executive committee of the association was held here under the chairmanship of its president, Dr Bhupinder Singh.

“No doctor in a government set- up will be dissatisfied with such a decision and anybody criticising it will be doing so for personal interests alone ”, opined the association.

Earlier the representatives of the association had held a detailed meeting with Mr C D Kamboj, chairman of the Punjab Health System Corporation ,where their viewpoint was put forth.