The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Holiday at PGI leaves patients high and dry
Manoj Kumar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5
“Why are the doctors not coming today? I have come here from Ramgarh by taking a bus at 5.30 am to undergo a medical test,” said Sumna, a 40-year-old woman. She came without having breakfast, not knowing that the PGI was closed today on account of Gurpurb.

Hundreds of patients and their relatives, who had come from faraway places in the foggy weather, were shocked today when they found the doors of the PGI locked. A number of patients who had come for medical tests had to wait till 11 am, when they were told by an attendant that the premier medical institute was closed on the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary.

The patients had taken appointments for today, but due to the rescheduling of the holiday at the last moment, they could not undergo the medical tests.

Mr Islam, a patient suffering from cancer, who had come from Saharanpur, said, “I will have to spend over Rs 200 to stay tonight in the city. I do not know whether the tests would be conducted tomorrow or not.”

Ms Meeta Rajiv Lochan, Deputy Director Administration, PGI, said, “As we are following the UT pattern, we had to reschedule the holiday at the last moment that was earlier scheduled for December 29.”

The patients alleged that the authorities did not even bother to inform the public through newspapers and local TV channels that the holiday was deferred.

“We should have been clearly told whether they would be given appointment for tomorrow or not,” they said. Ms Lochan declined to make any comment in this regard.

10,000 kids given polio drops
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, January 5
Pulse polio immunisation teams intensively carried out house-to-house search for children who were not immunised on day two of the immunisation programme. The team scrutinised the high-risk areas of the city by going from door to door.

As many as 10,000 children were administered doses on the second day of the programme. The operation will continue on Tuesday also.

The house-to-house campaign, as per the Health Department officials, was held to cover the children who had failed to turn up at the booths for the drops.

Almost 15 per cent of the children were expected to be covered in the house-to-house campaign.

The figure was likely to reach last year's figure of 1.32 lakh.

The Director, Health Services, Dr C.P. Bansal, and UT Finance Secretary-cum-Secretary, Health, Mr Karan Avtar Singh, visited Mauli Jagran Colony and Mauli village.

According UT Director, Family Welfare, Dr M.P. Minocha, Central Observer from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Rajendra Mishra appreciated the efforts made by the Health Department here.

Dr Minocha accompanied him to Colony Number 4 and Hallomajra.

A press statement issued later in the day added that UT Joint Director Health Services, Dr N.K. Kulshreshtha, also visited Sector 48 and 49, besides Colony Number 5.

SPORTS

Tennis meet begins today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5
More than 150 entries have been received for the Total Tennis Championship to be held at the Total Tennis Academy’s YMCA, Sector 11, from January 6 to 11. According to Mr Devender Kapoor, the academy has planned to have all matches after school hours. The academy has decided to have men’s singles and doubles event for the first time. Events for juniors will also be played. The events for the juniors are boys under-10, 12, 14 and 16 and for the girls are under-14 and 16. The championship will be inaugurated by Mr Pawan Khaitan of ABC Papers Limited on January 5 at 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Total Tennis Academy, after establishing its first centre in YMCA, Sector 11, Chandigarh, has now opened centres in Sector 47 and Panchkula.

At present, nearly 60 boys and girls are undergoing training at the centre. The trainees who have performed well in the recent past include Isha Toor, Inayat Khosla and Karan Patnaik. The centre has organised a circuit tennis meet and an open regional meet.

Mr L.D. Kapoor, who heads the YMCA centre of the academy, maintains that the clay courts are better than synthetic courts as the former are less injury-prone.

He said at the Mount Carmel TT academy in Sector 47, there was a provision for three clay courts and wall-practice facility. He said the centre in Sector 47 was open not only to schoolchildren, but also to other residents.

Mr Kapoor said an open regional tennis meet would start tomorrow at the YMCA centre in Sector 11 and the players above 10 years of age would participate.

Cricket tourneys: A fine half century by Naresh Saini (76) enabled Minerva Academy XI to beat Pritco Foods XI by 78 runs in the first Pritco Foods League-cum-knockout Cricket Tournament being organised by SSP Network Limited at Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 32, here.

Brief scores: Minerva Academy XI: 208 for 7 in 25 overs (Naresh Saini 76, Mandeep Singh Virk 42, Madan Lal 31, Darinder Singh 4 for 32 and Parshant 2 for 31) Pritco Foods XI : 130 all out in 23 overs (Dharmveer 51, Kamal 20, R.P Singh 5 for 23 and Madan Lal 2 for 19).

In another match, Himachal Cricket Club defeated Canara Bank XI by 31 runs to enter the quarterfinals.

Brief scores: Himachal CC: 165 for 8 in 22 overs (Navdeep 76, Amit 56) Canara Bank XI: 125 all out in 20.5 overs (Charan Dass 37, Ram 21, Mahajan Singh 3 for 24 and Sandeep 2 for 26.

Panchkula Coaching Centre beat Minerva Academy by 4 runs in the first Anupam Sweats-League-cum-knockout Cricket Tournament being organised by Anupam Sweats, Sector 11, Panchkula, at Cricket Coaching Centre, Sector 5, Panchkula, on Sunday.

Brief scores : Panchkula CC: 145 for 8 in 25 overs (Harish Garg 44, Sahil 25, Naresh 20 and Mandeep 2 for 30). Minerva Academy XI : 140 for 9 in 25 overs (Anurag Chopra 45, Mandeep 27, Nikhil 22, Sahil 3 for 27 and Munish 2 for 20).

In another match : Pritco Foods XI beat Victorious XI by 59 runs to enter the quarterfinals. Brief scores: Pritco Foods : 180 for 7 in 25 overs (Dharamveer 41, Munish 21, Amar 16, Sandeep 29 and Sanjay Malik 2 for 13). Victorious XI : 121 all out in 22.3 overs (Ajay Kumar 42, Sunil 30, Parminder 2 for 15 and Ramesh 2 for 15).

In the third match J.J. Sports Club defeated Honda City XI by six wickets at Satluj Public School.

Brief scores : Honda City XI : 135 all out in 20 overs (Sanjeev 20, Vikash 26, Manpreet 24 and Kulwinder 2 for 15) J.J. Sports Club : 136 for 5 in 18.4 overs (Harpreet Sunny 64 and Umesh Kashyap 41).

Chandigarh Club told to remove encroachments
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, January 5
The Chandigarh Administration today asked the Chandigarh Club to remove encroachments and also demolish its kitchen block, which has been built outside the permitted zoning area of the club.

The UT Estate Officer, Mr Arun Kumar, today in a speaking order told the club that a tennis court was outside the land of the club. The fencing of the open area by the club was also illegal.

Besides, the newly built kitchen block of club will also face the axe. The club has been told to submit fresh plans for approvals form the Architect Department. The club has been given two week’s time to comply with the order. The order has been communicated to club, said sources in the Administration. Mr Sunil Khanna, president of the club, when contacted said that the club and its land was owned by the Administration and the latter was free to take appropriate actions.