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PGI payments to IAA causing
massive loss Chandigarh, February 10 In para five of the latest PGI Audit report, it has been pointed out that the whole objective of depositing Rs 1.53 crore with the IAA had been defeated as every year money was being deposited without the initial amount having been utilised. “In spite of huge amounts being placed before the IAA, Rs 15 to 16 lakh was being paid on account of demurrage charges every year,” says the audit report. It is a general practice to place funds at the disposal of the IAA, New Delhi, so that the air parcels of imported equipment and material are cleared within a specific time frame and there is no delay. This is primarily done so as to avoid levying of demurrage charges through timely release of the imported material. It further pointed out that the money was being paid every year without watching whether the previous funds given had been adjusted or
exhausted. The details of the amount placed before the IAA and its utilisation showed that a sum of Rs 88.04 lakh was still lying unutilised with them. The Audit report remarked that placing of funds unnecessarily with IAA had resulted into undue benefit to the agency and caused loss of interest to the tune of Rs 34.80 lakh, calculated on the borrowing rate. The audit has also pointed out the delay on the part of PGI in getting seven ventilators purchased for Rs 39.03 lakh repaired for a long time. It was in 1998 that these microprocessor controlled ventilators were bought from a UK based firm. The ventilators became non-functional from January 1999 to April 2003, that is within the warranty period of two years as promised by the British supply firm. The audit pointed out that though the PGI kept reminding the company to make the ventilators functional, they remained out of use despite such a huge investment. “Despite the PGI having a full-fledged bio-medical engineering department, the ventilators remained non-functional and why their services were not taken cannot be known,” says the Audit para 4. The audit report says that despite such a huge investment being made the ventilators could not be put to use. With a lot of patient load on the PGI from the entire region, there is practically a permanent shortage of ventilators, especially in the Emergency. |
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35,000 kids born with cleft lip deformity Chandigarh, February 10 However, with little glamour and monetary gains attached to treating this deformity, very few dental surgeons are willing to take on the challenge of treating children born with cleft lip and palate deformity. As many as 35,000 such children are born in the country, every year. “Since it is a deformity which requires repeated surgeries, right from early childhood to adolescence, a team of dedicated doctors, including a dental surgeon, a plastic surgeon, a speech therapist, a psychologist and a social workers, is required,” said Dr R.K. Sharma, Additional Professor in the Plastic Surgery Department, PGI. Though the deformity is known to have some genetic component but in communities having practice of consanguineous marriages (within the same family), the risk of a child being born with the deformity is twice as high. “While the prevalence rate in India is one child every 800 to 1,000 births, in the Middle East and Afghanistan it is almost double,” explained Dr Sharma. He further explained that smoking, consumption of alcohol, viral disease or taking of a steroid by a pregnant woman could put the foetus to risk. As far as the genetic component is concerned, there were four per cent chances of a child having a deformity if a sibling or a family member had it, he added. “One of the precaution that can reduce chances of another child being born with the deformity is to go in for a planned pregnancy, which is closely monitored along with a mega dose of folic acid,” he advised. The Oral Sciences Department at the PGI treats over 300 such children from the entire region every year. “The multispeciality team at the PGI, doing the cleft lip and palate surgery, is the only one in India, which has been listed and duly recognised by the American Cleft Lip Association, for its good team work,” informed Prof Ashok Utreja, from the Oral Health Sciences Department. He said the cost of the surgery required by a child born with this deformity was almost five to 10 times higher in the private sector as compared to the nominal charges being charged by the PGI. “Unfortunately relatively low monetary returns in treating this deformity as compared to other specialities, along with a high level of commitment, keeps a majority of medical professionals away from this field,” regretted Prof Utreja. He said one of the main objectives of holding the third Annual meeting of the Indian Society of Cleft Lip, Palate and Cranofacial Anomalies at the PGI from February 20 to 22 was to motivate doctors to opt for this speciality. He said very few centres in India had multispecialities, a must for tackling the problem. |
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Immunisation
campaign launched Panchkula, February 10 According to a press note here today, under this programme 966 children have been provided immunisation against the BCG,848 against measles and 977 against DPT. The third dose of polio vaccine has also been given in the last month. Besides 250 patients were checked under the Vande Matram scheme. |
Roma, Sarvan declared best players
Chandigarh, February 10 Giving this information, Mr Baljinder Singh Banwait, general secretary of the Chandigarh Ball Badminton Association, said in the boys section, Chandigarh boys lost to Hyderabad, who finished runner-up, with a margin of 26-29, 17-29 in the quarterfinal. For sixth to seventh place tie, Orissa defeated Chandigarh 13-29, 29-26, 29-26. In the tie for seven to eight position, Chandigarh beat Maharashtra 29-13, 29-18. In the girls section, city girls lost to Andhra Pradesh 24-29, 22-29 and ultimately AP remained runner-up in the meet. In the placing matches for five to eight position, Chandigarh beat Madhya Pardesh 29-05, 29-08. In the placing for fifth to sixth place, Chandigarh lost to Chhatisgarh 26-29, 25-29.
Cricket meet The North Zone Indian Audit and Accounts Department Cricket Tournament will begin tomorrow at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium and DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8. Mr Y.C. Satyawadi, Principal Accountant General (Audit), Punjab, will inaugurate the meet. |
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Western Command chief plays to his handicap Chandigarh, February 10 Lt-Gen. J.J. Singh, a straight and long-drive hitter, played to his handicap of 12 and said it was a tough, challenging and interesting course. |
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