HEALTH

Quality in medicare must, feel experts
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 14
Quality assurance in contemporary hospital care was discussed at a continuing medical education (CME) programme organised at Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir, today. Around 50 delegates from military and civilian hospitals attended the programme.

Inaugurating the programme, Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lieut-Gen P.K. Grover, stressed the need for ensuring quality medical care for patients by effective and efficient management of man and machine at all levels of hospital functioning. He also expressed hope that delegates would be benefitted from the views of experts in the field.

In the keynote address, Maj-Gen T R Awasthi, Deputy Director Medical Services, Western Command, observed that total quality assurance in a hospital environment involved long-term commitment for continuous improvement of quality throughout the systems and sub-systems that made up the institute. He added that it could be achieved only by the active participation of all members at higher, middle and lower levels.

The Commandant of the hospital, Maj-Gen B. Sadananda, emphasised that total quality assurance in hospital care required involvement of all personnel in improving the level of clientele satisfaction. He said there was a need to change the existing attitude of various service providers so that the patient was kept as the centre of all activities and was treated with compassion and empathy.

Other speakers included Dr Sumitra Dash from PGIMER, Chandigarh, who spoke on quality assurance of laboratory investigations, and Dr Harmit Singh, Financial Adviser, PGIMER, who highlighted methods of motivating hospital staff. Lieut-Col D. Bagchi from Command Hospital dwelled upon the art of care versus the art of cure, while Lieut-Col B.C. Trivedi, also from the same hospital, spoke on optimal utilisation of costly hospital equipment. Prof A.K. Sahajpal from Panjab University gave a talk on conflict management in a hospital.

Facing cancer with fortitude
Our Correspondent

“The pain can diminish if people around you are supportive. Initially it is difficult, but with time and support you learn to live with it” this is what the cancer survivors had to say. Screening, they add, is a must to prevent breast cancer. “It is very tough to cope up when you come to know about the disease initially”, said a medical practitioner-cum-cancer survivor. “But luckily people around you lessen the pain by offering support. I believe that if you are a positive person, you will get a positive response from others. If you cry, people simply sympathise with you.” The doctor is suffering from thyroid cancer and has undergone chemotherapy. She also goes for her regular check up. “My family has been supportive throughout and I am proud of them”, she asserts . Another patient suffering from breast cancer said ‘’I had read about the symptoms of breast cancer. Mine were similar so I visited a doctor. Losing a breast is not easy for a women, but I know I am fine”. Smiling she said, “I took medicine for 13 years. Initially it was tough, but after joining an emotional support group in Delhi I gathered strength because I was not the only one there”.

Chandigarh, February 14
The importance of parental support in childhood cancer, besides the role of cancer awareness programmes, was discussed during joint celebration of Cancer Survivors Day and International Childhood Cancer Day this afternoon.

Femina Miss India Nikita Anand also crooned songs to motivate the cancer survivors. Little patients suffering from the dreaded disease participated in a fancy dress show while cancer survivors offered prayers. The programme, organised by Sahayta Cancer Sahyog, was held at Sector 10 DAV College.

At a separate function held at St Xavier’s School in Sector 44, a mega health camp was organised by Global Cancer Concern of India. It was attended by the parents.

As per the organisers, the day is celebrated all over the country on second Saturday of February to pay tribute to the courage and determination of cancer survivors. Meanwhile, Chandigarh’s Finance Secretary Karan Avtar Singh was the guest of honour at the function held in Sector 10.

Jeevan Shakti Award was given to Mr Banarsi Das Singla of Karnal, a throat cancer patient. Gagan Toor award was presented to engineering student Prince for fighting cancer bravely. Col Iqbal Loomba Protsahan scholarship was given to Harpreet, an orphan who fought cancer alone. Under Jeevan Sahara Project, Rs 10,000 were given to Mr Ganga Charan of Muzaffarnagar whose right arm was amputated due to malignancy.

As the programme progressed, little cancer patients, dressed up as rabbits and lions, marched up the stage under the guidance of Dr Amrita Tehran of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). The Head of PGIMER’s Radiotherapy Department also spoke about the magnitude of cancer.

Psychologists Dr Nirmala Chaudhary emphasised the importance of parental support in childhood cancer. Cancer survivor and president of All India Cancer Support Groups Harmala Gupta was also present on the occasion. She revealed that about 29 support groups from all over the country had formed the groups.

The president of Sahayta Cancer Sahyog, Ms Neelu Tuli, emphasised the role of cancer awareness programmes in her annual report. She said cancer awareness could act as an anti-cancer vaccine. She asserted that all the volunteers with Sahayta were serving in honorary capacity. Sahayta bought chemotherapy medicines worth Rs 1 lakh every month for poor patients, she added. The programme concluded with the song “Hum Honge Kamyaab” by Sahayta volunteers.

SPORTS

GGDSD college win PU basketball meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, February 14
Dharminder of Chandigarh Y went down to Sarabjit Singh of Punjab 1-4 in the light flyweight category on the second day of the 11th All-India A.K. Misra Memorial Boxing championship played here today at Skating Rink, Sector 10.

The following are the results: Light flyweight: K. Raj Kumar (Ktk) b Mukesh Belwal (Utr) 3-2; Nitesh B. Khude (Mah) b Laldina Pula (ARC) 3-2; Dilip Kumar Puri (ASI) b Deepak Roy (Ben) 5-0; Sarabjit Singh b Dharminder (Chd-Y) 4-1; G. Rama Rao (Viz) b K. Kavirajan (Pond) RSC First round; Deep Chand (Trenz) b Kamal Kumar (HP) 5-0; S.B. Thapa (AR) b Avinash Singh (ASPT) 4-1;

Flyweight: Abhishekh Sah (Del) b G. Raghuman (TN) 5-0;O. Biten Singh (ARC) b Amarjit Singh (Pb) 5-0; Herojit Singh (MP) b E.K.V. Prasad (Viz) 5-0; A. Kamesh (ASPT) b R.B. Rana (AR) RSC Ist round; Surapati (AP) b D. Rajesh (Pon) 3-2; Daiphale (SIGS) b Dinesh Singh (UTR) 3-2; D.S. Negi (Trenz) b N. Kumar (Ktk) 3-2; H.K. Belwal (ASI) b Ravinder Saini (Har) 5-0.

Bantam weight: Ashwani Sharma (UP) b Shankar Jaikishan (UTR) RSC OC; K. Philip Singh (ARC) b Sanjay R. Yadav (Mah) 4-1; K. Satish Kumar (Ktk) b Bijender Singh (Har) 5-0; V. Durga Rao (Vizag) b L. Sanjay Kumar (ASPT) 5-0; Kamal Chouhan (HP) b Navpreet Singh (PEPSU) 5-0; S.K. Thapa (AR) b Rohit Thapa (SIGS) 5-0; Kamaldeep (PP) b Goutam Debnath (Ben) 3-2; D. Kannan (ASI) b Pradip Kumar (Trenz) 5-0.

Women handball

GGD SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, won the Panjab University Inter-College Handball (women) championship played here on Saturday on the PU campus. The Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana , MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, and the Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26,Chandigarh got second, third and fourth place respectively.

Cycling championship

The Chandigarh Track Cycling championship for boys and girls in various categories will be held here tomorrow on the Panjab University campus. grounds. According to Mr Rakesh Mohindra, Secretary of the Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association, the events will be held for senior, junior (16-18 years), 14-16 years, Sub-junior (12 to14 years) and sub-junior (below 12 years).

Satpal selected for Haryana junior fencing team
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, February 14
Satpal Rawat, a student of St Soldier Divine Public School, Sector 16, Panchkula, has brought laurels to the school as he was picked up by Haryana to represent the state in the Junior National Fencing championship to be held at Imphal (Manipur) from February 16 to 19. Satpal along with two other school mates — Darpan Goyal and Sandeep Singh Chauhan — also attended the 10-day national coaching camp in fencing held at Karnal.

He is the only player from the district who has been selected for the team. At present the school fencing team is being coached by Mr Rajiv Kumar, a diploma holder in fencing from SAI National Institute of Sports, Patiala. As many as 50 budding youngsters of the school are taking guidance from him.