Recall 2005
A problem-ridden year for Health Dept
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, December 28
The outbreak of diseases like gastroenteritis, dengue and malaria at regular intervals in the city and the detection of a polio case towards the end of the year, the first in past three years from anywhere in the state, kept the health administration on its toes all through the year.

Though not entirely due to its fault, the Health Department had to face the flak for the loss of several human lives due to epidemic like the condition of dengue in several localities and at the hands of quacks in one of the thickly populated colonies in the old city.

Even as the health officials washed their hands off the outbreak of water-borne diseases, which afflicted hundreds of city residents and passed the buck to the civic body, they had to take the blame for failure to take adequate preventive measures against mosquito breeding and maintaining a tight vigil on the quality of water supply.

Thriving quackery, violation of laws governing the sale of medicines, proliferating advertisements of wonder cure and magic drugs, adulteration of food stuff in the absence of enforcement, as also the incidence of pre-natal sex determination tests at ultra sound scan centres in the industrial hub were among the major problems that the department had to grapple with without making much headway.

Continued pulse polio drive during the year with much fanfare notwithstanding, a polio case surfaced in the city when a migrant child was detected to the afflicted in a city hospital. This was the first case of polio in the state during the past three years and it virtually put the clock back for the state of Punjab, which was looking towards being declared a polio-free state in another two years.

The mop up polio campaign, which was undertaken immediately after the polio case surfaced, was mired with another kind of bureaucratic drama. In the absence of the Civil Surgeon Dr Rajinder Kaur, who was on leave at that particular time, the health directorate entrusted the task to another senior doctor, who is a director in the Punjab Health System Corporations. For reasons best known to the high and mighty in the Health Department, even after the Civil Surgeon joined back and sought to take over the supervision of the polio drive, the department refused to accede to her request.

The year turned out to be full of turmoil for the Civil Hospital here, which saw a politically connected Senior Medical Officer transferred twice, but still having the last laugh, that too at the expense of none other than the Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Chander Dogra. The hospital was subject to a number of surprise checks by the minister, the Health Secretary and even a member of the Punjab Human Rights Commission. However, things remained unchanged and there was no respite for the patients at the government hospital.

The horde of national health programmes aimed at the eradication of polio, tuberculosis, along with vaccination programmes against other infectious diseases and family welfare programmes were carried out rather mechanically.

The year will go down in the history as a black spot for the department as the much publicised multi-crore drug purchase scam was given a quiet burial and most of the accused persons were given clean chit either by the Vigilance Bureau or through departmental inquiries.

Society vows to propagate blood donation
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 28
The Nishkam Blood Service Society, a voluntary body which came into existence here today, has pledged to work for the propagation of voluntary blood donation and to make the noble task a mass movement in the region to meet the demand for safe blood for critically ill persons and trauma victims.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Mr Yadwinder Singh, president of the society, said at least 1,000 blood donors would be enrolled in the city in the coming year who would be prepared to donate blood, as and when required. The purpose of setting up the society, he added, was to create an awareness among the healthy people to donate blood on regular basis so that the menace of sale and purchase of blood could be effectively tackled.

The chief guest of the function, Dr Manorama Awasthi, District Family Welfare Officer, lauded the initiative and concern of the functionaries of the society in taking up the humanitarian cause. Noted industrialist Harmohinder Singh Pahwa and Dr Awasthi released the motto of the society.

Prominent among others present at the function were Dr Sarup Singh Alag, Mr Joginder Singh Eros, Mr Raminder Deep Singh, Dr Ravinder Kochhar, Mr Jagan Nath Jain, Mr Sushil Kaura. Mr Subhash Bhardwaj, Mr Anand Kumar, Mr H.P.S. Ahuja, Mr I.S. Khurana, Mr Jatinder Singh, Mr S.P. Singh, Ms Anita Arora, Ms G.K. Walia, Ms Babu Gill, Mr HJS Khera, Mr Upkar Singh, Mr Dhanvinder Singh and Dr Satwant Singh.

SPORTS

Farewell given to kabaddi coach
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, December 28
A warm farewell was given to former international kabaddi star Devi Dayl, who was working as senior kabaddi coach with the Punjab Sports Department, here today. Devi Dyal, who dominated the kabaddi arena during late sixties and seventies, retires on December 31 after putting in 35 years of service.

The farewell function was organised by the local office of the Punjab Sports Department at Guru Nanak Sports Complex which was attended by all coaches, besides Ms Surinder Dhir, former Deputy Director, Sports, Punjab, Mr Amar Singh, former District Sports Officer, Ludhiana, Mr Harbans Singh Malhi, Mr Jagwinder Singh and Mr Prem Singh Shahi, all former sports officers, and family members of Devi Dyal. Representatives of the Malwa Sports Association, Samrala, were also present there. A band was also in attendance.