HEALTH

Adviser for serai in hospital, but where are funds?
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 4
Notwithstanding the inconvenience faced by attendants of patients, the setting up of a serai at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) seems to be a distant dream due to paucity of funds.

Even though the UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), has directed the GMCH authorities to set up a serai, seeing the pace of the ongoing construction work and the fund position it could take a while for the building to come up.

A building, which houses the office of the Director Principal and other faculty offices, is called the serai building. Before the GMCH came into being the building housed some offices and was later used as a hostel for the medical students. “There is a possibility that once a new block comes up where we can shift the offices the serai building can be used for the attendants of patients,” said a senior official.

As per another proposal, the administration may allot a piece of land to a social organisation, which is keen to construct a serai for the convenience of the attendants.

Meanwhile, a nine-storeyed block-C is ready for inauguration but there are certain portions which have been left incomplete due to scarcity of funds. As per the original plan, the block was to have 14 operation theatres (OT) on the second and third floors but with each OT costing over Rs 1 crore only seven have been completed.

The authorities said funds’ shortage was one of the problem but seven existing old OTs, would fulfil their requirement. Relatives of patients admitted to the GMCH emergency face inconvenience as they have to sleep in the open in the absence of a waiting room. The problem is aggravated during winters when they have to sleep under the porch in front of the entrance to the hospital.

ITBP team scales two peaks in Himachal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 4
A 24-member Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) mountaineering team has successfully scaled two peaks in Himachal Pradesh. The team, under the leadership of Assistant Commandant Sanjeev Rolba, was flagged off from the Basic Training Centre (BTC), Ramgarh, near here, on August 11.

According to a statement issued here today, the team scaled the 6264-m high Chou-Chou Kang Nilda peak and another unnamed 6264-m high peak on August 24. Both the peaks are near Kaza and on the same ridge-line with a distance of 1500m between them.

The team travelled along the Beas valley in Kulu till the Rohtang pass before entering the Lahoul valley. They reached Kaza on August 14 after negotiating the treacherous Kunzum pass.

The team was flagged in at the BTC yesterday by the Additional DIG, Mr S.C. Pathania.

Gagan, Kamal enter 9-ball tourney final
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 4
In the first semi-final of the third Vishnu Pal Memorial Nine Ball State Tournament Gagan Deep Singh defeated Arif Gul by 7-5 to reach the final. It was a neck and neck encounter and both players played well. In the second semi-final, Kamal Kant defeated Honey Chadha in a thrilling encounter by 7-6. Honey played brilliantly and bagged the first five racks to lead by 5-0.

In the earlier matches Kamal Kant defeated Sumit by 7-5, Arif Gul defeat Manav Dhawan by 7-3. Gagan Deep Singh defeated Vikas Chabbra 7-2.

Weightlifting meet: In the Air Force Weightlifting Championship 2003-04, Maheshwari, P K Sharma and Garish came first, second and third, respectively, in the 94-kg overall category. In the 85-kg overall category, J. Singh, Shisodia and Patwari came first, second and third, respectively.

The other results of 85-kg category are: snatch — J. Singh (120kg), Shisodia (105 kg) and Shaktivel (100 kg); and clean and jerk — J. Singh (150 kg), Shisodia (132.5 kg) and Patwari (122 kg).

94-kg category: snatch — Maheshwari (110 kg), Girish (100 kg) and P.K. Sharma (100 kg); clean and jerk — Maheshwari (135), P.K. Sharma and Garish (130 kg). overall — Maheshwari (245 kg), P.K. Sharma (232 kg) and Garish (230 kg).