HEALTH

Verma draws flak for launch of ‘bogus’ hospital 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 2
The Congress today flayed Union Labour Minister Sahib Singh for laying the foundation stone of a hospital in West Delhi that did not have an official sanction. A day after the ceremony for upgrading the primary health centre in Najafgarh to a hospital, Congress leader and former MP Sajjan Kumar said Mr Singh’s launch of the hospital was “bogus”.

“It was a bogus foundation stone laying ceremony. There is no approval from the Planning Commission for the hospital,” Mr Kumar told a news conference.

According to the senior Congress leader and ex-MP from Outer Delhi in which Najafgarh falls, the Union Minister told the gathering that it would be a 300-bed hospital.

“The hospital was an election promise by Mr Singh in 1999. In the past five years, he did not fulfil it. He is resorting to a trick on the eve of the general elections,” said Mr Kumar.

He claimed that Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Sushma Swaraj, who promised a maternity hospital at the primary health centre during her visit on January 1, was invited to attend the foundation laying ceremony, but she declined.

Following Ms Swaraj’s visit, the health department wrote a letter to her on January 8 recommending a 30-bed hospital, Mr Kumar said, who has threatened to take Mr Singh to court for his “bogus act with an eye on the elections”.

Healthcare to become costlier, warns DMA
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 2
The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) today expressed concern over the Centre’s decision to impose a 10 per cent annual permissible fee on nursing homes, clinics and hospitals in residential areas, on a par with the banks, and termed it ‘unfair and exploitative’.

“While the government will charge only a nominal 2.5 per cent of the property value to guest houses in these areas under the mixed land use scheme, it is imposing a steep 10 per cent on the health.

This is ridiculous,” Dr Anil Bansal, president of DMA, said citing the Delhi Development Authority’s August 1, 2003, orders.

As a result of this anomaly, the hospitals will have to pay a hefty amount every year and will ultimately, transfer the tax load to the patients, he pointed out, while speaking to the reporters here.

This will lead to a hike in the rates for consultancy, room rent and other overheads, he warned.

Speaking at the press meet, Dr Prem Agarwal, who heads the National Medical Forum, claimed that a big chunk of the population goes to the private clinics.

“By imposing such a heavy fee, the patients will find it more taxing to pay up their hiked medical fees,’’ he said. Some nursing homes may have to close shop too, he added. The levy should not be more than 0.5 to one per cent, he said.

Escorts heart centre launched in Gurgaon
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, February 2
With the launch of a centre in the local Kalyani Hospital by the Delhi-based Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC), Gurgaon took yet another step in its effort to provide world class facilities to its residents.

Launching the Escorts Heart Centre, Dr Naresh Trehan, Executive Director and Chief Cardiac Surgeon of EHIRC, said that Escorts is committed towards making world class cardiac care available to the people at their doorstep.

Escorts Heart Centre here is a super speciality cardiac centre, which is equipped with the latest in cardiac- care facilities. To ensure the quality of the services offered, the cardiologists and staff posted in it have been trained at EHIRC. A heart patient in Gurgaon and nearby will now have easy access to quality cardiac-centre matched with international standards and need not travel outside, he added.

According to EHIRC, the 25-bedded super-speciality cardiac centre has a full fledged heart station, heart command centre, cardiac catheterisation lab and cardiac OT’s. The centre will be providing cardiac care in the form of preventive health check-ups, OPD, IPD and emergency cardiac services. Facilities of a 2-D echo doppler, stress echocardiography, TMT, EKG, pulmonary function tests, holter monitoring, peripheral doppler studies, coronary and peripheral angiography, coronary, carotid, renal and peripheral angioplasty, pacemaker implantation and balloon valvoplasty will be available.

Dr Trehan said that the immediate target of EHIRC is to expand the community outreach programme in a big way in North India. In fact, the centre here is part of the same exercise. 

SPORTS

Kartik Bhat downs Gayatri Krishnan
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 2
Gayatri Krishnan, daughter of former Indian Davis Cup captain Ramesh Krishnan, put up an engaging fight before bowing out to Kartik Bhat 6-2,6-3 in a girls’ singles first-round match of the Adidas ITF International Junior Tennis Championship, an ITF Grade II event, at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association court on Monday.

Kartik was the only Indian girl to move up on day one as five others crashed out at the first hurdle itself. In the boys section, there was a mixed trend as four Indian boys made it into the second round while five bowed out.

Sanam K Singh, Sidharth Gulati, Navdeep Singh and Jeevan Nedunchezhian were the ones who successfully crossed the first round.

Following are the complete results: Girls singles: Penporn Chantawannop (Tha) beat Shweta Kakhandki (Ind) 6-1, 6-4; Iryna Matychyk (Ukraine) b Oormila Ram (Ind) 6-2, 6-1; Elina Arutyunova (Uzb) b Sandri Gangotri (Ind) 6-4, 6-1; Francesca Kinsella (Britain) b Parija Maloo (Ind) 6-1, 6-1; Pichittra Thongdach (Tha) b Eleonora Sitdjemileva 6-1, 6-0; Porntip Mulsap (Tha) beat Tejaswini Datla (Ind) 6-2, 6-3.

Boys singles: Botond Godry (Hun) b Agnel Gladwin (Ind) 7-6. 7-5; Sanam Singh (Ind) b Lior Barbash (Isr) 6-3, 6-7, 6-4; Naoki Sato (Japan) b Vivek Shokeen (Ind) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; Faris Khatib (Britain) b Sumit Gupta (Ind) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Sidharth Gulati (Ind) b Boris Baichorav (Kgz) 6-3, 6-4; Navdeep Singh (India) b Lai Xiao-Peng (Hong Kong) 6-1, 6-4; Myles A Blake (Australia) b Jitin Bishnoi 6-3, 6-2; Roman Kelecic (CRO) b Sharijpo Akmal (Uzb) 7-6, 6-1; Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan b Yuri Akatov (Kaz) 6-2, 6-1; Matin Sayer (Hong Kong) b Sahar Shimiel (Isr) 6-4, 7-5; Vladislav Shegay (Uzb) b Rohan Gide (Ind) 6-2, 6-4; Sivendiran Nishendiran (Sri) b Kaushik Das (India) 6-4, 6-0.

Shruti Khanna retain title
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 2
Shruti Khanna of Delhi retained her title in the Navision 87th All-India Ladies Amateur Golf Championship at the Karnataka Golf Association course on Monday. Despite a seven-over 79 on the second day, Shruti aggregated nine-over 153 to win by ten strokes over compatriot Anjali Chopra in the gold division (handicap 0-12).

Shalini Malik returned a card of 79 for a two-day total of 160 to finish third. Pragya Mishra submitted the day’s best card of four-over 76 to share the fourth position with Neha Majithia and Vandana Agarwal scoring 162 for 36 holes.

Sonavi Chopra with a two-day total of 172 won the AVM Trophy in the silver division (handicap 13-24) while Gitah Pandit of Mumbai was the runner-up, falling ten strokes short of the leader. Delhi’s Connie Sayal was third, with a total of 183.

Delhi Golf Club (DGC) A bagged the Leslie Sawhney Inter-Club Salver. The trio of Shruti Khanna, Shalini Malik and Neha Majithia aggregated 313 while the DGC ‘B’ team were runners-up in the gold division. In the silver division inter-club PA Robinson Trophy, DGC A hogged the limelight, bagging the honours with a total of 355. The team comprised Sonavi Chopra, Sonal Chaudhri and Connie Sayal.

Shruti Khanna, with a double bogey on the third, also bogeyed the eighth and ninth to be four-over before she took the turn. The same story followed her as she double-bogeyed the 10th and added one more on the 11th. But she picked up her game, and returned par till the 16th where she three-putted once again from 10 feet. A birdie on the 18th was the only solace for the lanky lass.

Malviya Club record convincing victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 2
Malviya Club scored a convincing eight-wicket victory against R P Academy and entered the semi-final of the fifth Goswami Girdhari Lal Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Kalindi College ground. Rohit Mehra, who claimed three wickets for 21 runs, was adjudged the man of the match. The tournament was inaugurated by Ramakant Goswami, MLA.

Scores: R P Academy: 82 all out in 24.5 overs (Puneet Mehra 18, Rohit Mehra 3 for 21, Rajender Madan 2 for 14, Jaswinder Singh 2 for 14, Puru Singh 2 for 13). Malviya Club: 83 for 2 in 13.4 overs (Oniel Wilson 29, Varun Kumar 28 n o, Pardeep Shau 2 for 27).

Ganga School staff win

Ganga School staff defeated Journalists XI by four wickets in a limited-over match.

Scores: Journalists: 97 all out in 14.2 overs (Shivram Roy 44, Suresh Kaushik 33, D S Jaggi 2 for 11, P K Dagar 2 for 8, Pritipal 2 for 11). Ganga School: 98 for 6 in 14.2 overs (Rajesh Panchal 44, Inderjeet 40, Santhanam 2 for 18, Indernil Basu 2 for 18).

DTC, Kishan Ganj move up in DDCA League
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 2
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) defeated Rehman Club by eight wickets and Kishan Ganj Gymkhana too scored an eight-wicket victory against Darling Club in the DDCA League A-I Division matches.

Scores: Rehman: 142 all out in 30.4 overs (Adnan Ali 46, Mahesh Sharma 4 for 31, Bhuwan Chand 2 for 21).

DTC: 146 for 2 in 33.3 overs (Ramesh Sharma 58, Mahesh Sharma 44 n o).

Darling Club: 156 all out in 39.5 overs (Utkarsh Gautam 40, Sandeep Rana 26, Dinesh Yadav 3 for 20, Mohinder Pal 3 for 21, Suresh Tanwar 2 for 26).

Kishan Ganj Gymkhana: 157 for 2 in 27 overs (Ajit Chandela 81 n o, Naveen Verma 32).

Dileep, Darmender shine

Stylish batting displays by Dileep TT and Dharmender Fagna helped Chaudhary Devi Lal XI defeat Air India by 51 runs and entered the semi-final of the All-India Vashishta Narain Karwariya Cricket Tournament at the Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium.

Scores: Devi Lal XI: 203 for 5 in 40 overs (Dileep T T 87, Dharmender Fagna 63 n o, Suresh Rawal 3 for 32, Mihir Diwakar 2 for 42). Air India: 152 all out in 34.5 overs (Sumit Samant 43, Yogesh Virmani 4 for 24). Dileep was named the man of the match.

HDFC to meet Gillette in final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, February 2
HDFC will take on Gillette in the final of the ESPN Star Sports Corporate Challenger Cup Limited-Over Cricket Tournament. In the semi-finals, HDFC defeated Hughes by eight wickets while Gillette defeated Hero Honda by seven wickets.

Scores: HDFC: 95 for 2 in 13.5 overs (Muskaan 30, Manish 2 for 21).

Hughes: 90 for 8 in 22 overs (Rajan 45, Harsh 3 for 17, Sant Ram 2 for 14). Sant Ram was declared the man of the match.

Gillette: 134 for 3 in 21.1 overs (Anjeev 60, Gagan 2 for 13, Satish 1 for 39).

Hero Honda: 131 in 23.3 overs (Satish 27, K C Sharma 3 for 19, Ashok 3 for 23). Anjeev got the man of the match award.