Panchkula, September 30
The Haryana Health Department is planning a major expansion of General Hospital here. From being a secondary health care institute, it is proposed to convert the hospital into a tertiary health care centre with super specialised fields of medicine.

It is proposed to add a new block in the hospital with a new OPD, two general wards, a kitchen, a laundry, a post office, a bank extension counter, a coronary care unit and an intensive care unit. Top officials in the department inform that they are also seeking additional staff — super specialists in different fields, medical officers, staff nurses and nurses, for the hospital.

The original master plan of the General Hospital had a provision for a second block of the hospital. The officials say that the project is being expedited in wake of the heavy patient inflow in the hospital (the average daily OPD inflow is 600 to 800 patients).

Senior officials in the department also inform that as part of the expansion plans of the hospital, a telemedicine facility in the hospital, with the help of the PGI, Chandigarh, is on the cards. It is learnt that the entire equipment needed for starting the facility has been requisitioned. A six-member team of doctors from the premier health institute led by PGI’s Director, Prof K.K. Talwar visited the hospital here on September 28 for the purpose.

The Director-General Health, Haryana, Dr B S Dahiya, informs that the telemedicine facility with the PGI will begin soon. “The matter is being taken up at the highest level in the state, so that the PGI can provide its expertise in handling critical cardiac cases. We have already bought a four-channel ECG machine and applied for a telephone connection, so that the facility can begin at the earliest,” he says.

Under the project, the General Hospital here will be linked to the PGI for the interpretation and transmission of ECG. A four-channel ECG machine connected to a fax machine will send the ECG details of the patient to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) at the PGI, Chandigarh. The senior resident doctor at the PGI will interpret the ECG, and in consultation with a senior consultant diagnose the problem and decide on treatment. The entire process does not take more than five minutes and the patient can get speedy medical aid here itself.

Will the Health Department be able to deliver the state-of-the-art super speciality hospital in Panchkula? Considering the fact that the department has a shortage of super specialists in most government hospitals in the state, officials in the Health Department say it seems unlikely that they find specialists for the hospital here. Even as the department proposes major expansion, poor quality of construction and dilapidated condition of the two -year- old hospital building here, and the department’s inability to ensure that the PWD department repair the faults in construction, are also a telling sign on the government apathy. Now, the Health Department is rectifying the faults in construction on its own through funds from the Swasthya Kalyan Samiti, after the PWD withdrew its staff (an SDO, two JE’s and other staff) for maintenance of the hospital building.

Chandigarh, September 30
Trying to find the proper diagnosis of the inherited genetic disorder among children, cystic fibrosis, which is a lung and respiratory disorder, the PGI here is working on finding diagnostic genetic implications of the disease, which till date is considered rare in the country.

The initial findings have pointed out that the disease is not as rare as it is perceived, but the late and wrong diagnosis so far has created the myth that the prevalence of the disease is rare in India.

Working on the project given by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on diagnosising cystic fibrosis, Dr R. Prasad of the Department of Biochemistry at the PGI says in last four years, only 17 cases of the disease among children have been diagnosed at the PGI alone, where incidentally, the first case of the cystic fibrosis was diagnosed.

“Cystic fibrosis cannot be considered rare among Indians as patients are generally treated for tuberculosis and acute bronchopneumonia when they are actually suffering from this genetic disorder. It is so because the diagnosis is done at a much later stage. But once the diagnostic facilities through DNA testing improve, the number of cases of such patients are expected to increase manifold,’’ says Dr Prasad.

He adds that the general perception is that the disease is common in western countries, but does not occur here. While the occurrence rate of the disease in Indians migrating to the UK is one case in 10,000, no such data is so far available in the native Indian population.

The disease, caused by the mutation of gene, has an occurrence rate higher in northern India. The common symptoms include recurrent lower respiratory tract infections and pancreatic insufficiencies.

While early diagnosis is considered crucial, the treatment of the disease includes daily clearance of the respiratory passages, appropriate antibiotic therapy and nutritional supplements.

Chandigarh, September 30
Women still feel reluctant to come forward and donate blood and emotional reasons outplay logical ones when it comes to donating blood. As celebrations of voluntary donations day get underway on October 1, with the medical fraternity urging more and more persons to donate blood so that safe blood is accumulated, a PGI study points out that the fear of being rendered weak still makes many reluctant to come to blood donation camps.

Of the data collected at the blood donation camp organised at Naraingarh in Ambala, a team of researchers of the PGI’s Department of Community Medicine, led by Dr S.S. Kar, Dr S. Bandopadhyay and Dr Amarjeet Singh, has found that merely 9 per cent women come forward to donate blood.”The other studies undertaken in several other parts of the country show similar results as the participation of women in such camps is generally not more than 20 per cent. Their low social status can be attributed to this result,” reads the study.

While 37 per cent of the non-donors in the college have cited physical weakness as the reason for their not donating blood, their knowledge level on blood donation is relatively more than that of donors. Emotional reasons make more persons donate rather than theoretical knowledge.

Another fact established by the study, which has interviewed nearly 100 donors and non-donors in the town, is the tendency of the donors to repeat their act as more donors have family members who have donated blood earlier. The study finds that this aspect can be utilised to motivate donors so that their tendency to donate blood is encouraged and nurtured further.

Prof Neelam Marwaha, Head of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the PGI, says any person in good physical and mental health and between 18 and 60 years of age with a weight of more than 45 kg can donate blood. The haemoglobin level needs to be more than 12.5 gm per cent. Persons having heart problems or chronic diseases, lacerating mothers and pregnant women should refrain from blood donation.

Chandigarh, September 30
Panjab University is organising the All-India Inter-Zonal Inter-University Handball Championships for men and women from October 1 to 5 at the university grounds.

Four teams from North-East zone and four teams from South West zone in each section will participate. The tournament will be played on league-cum-knockout basis.

Mr Ravinder Talwar, secretary general, Chandigarh Olympic Association, will inaugurate the meet.

The following teams have qualified: Men’s section: North-East zone: Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, and Delhi, University Delhi.

South-West zone: Barkatullah, Pune, Shivaji and Madras.

Women’s section: North-East zone: PU, Pt Ravishankar, Delhi, and MDU, Rohtak.