The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

Docs told to provide best services
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, June 11
Dr S.K. Bansal, Civil Surgeon, Sangrur, has directed the authorities at the local Civil Hospital to provide best services to the patients visiting the health centre so that their faith in government doctors was restored. Besides providing diagnostic expertise and consultation, required medicine should also be provided, he has stressed.

Dr Bansal scrutinised the records to ensure that sufficient services were being provided at the hospital. He, along with Dr K.C. Goel, DHO, has inspected dispensaries and hospitals at Malerkotla and Kup village.

While addressing a meeting of doctors yesterday, Dr Bansal said doctors should take proper care of patients, majority of whom hailed from the weaker sections. “Mere advice and prescription was of no use to a patient who could not afford buying expensive medicines,” he argued. He directed the hospital staff to maintain enough stock of medicines that were prescribed more frequently.

Referring to the norms prescribed by the Punjab Health System Corporation, Dr Bansal reminded Dr Krishan Pilani, SMO, to purchase required medicine from the market in case supplies were not received from the department.

The Civil Surgeon checked various wards and inquired about the quality of services provided by the staff. He tested the working of various equipments required in diagnostic investigations for routine patients.

200 examined at free medical camp
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 11
More than 200 patients were examined and rendered follow up advice on the 8th free diabetes detection camp organised by the local branch of the National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) at Shivpuri here today.

According to Dr Surendra Gupta, secretary, NIMA, the camp aimed at creating awareness among the people about diabetes and educate them on its management by changes in diet and lifestyle.

Dr Rajesh Thaper, Dr K.K. Sharma, Dr K.K. Kharbanda, Dr Diwaker Sharma, Dr K.K. Kohli, and Dr P.K. Sharma offered consultation to the patients while Dr Inder Sharma prepared data of patients for future comparison and to evolve effective strategy against the disease.

People attending the camp were tested for blood glucose levels. As many as 110 patients were found to have higher level of glucose in their blood. Considering that among them, 85 were known diabetic and 25 new patients were detected. All patients were provided complete information about the disease apart from free medicines and diet plan to be followed for effective control of the disease.

Dr Gupta further informed that more than 20 pre-diabetic patients were also detected who were advised to follow a special diet plan and lifestyle modifications to keep away the full blown diabetes mellitus. Pre-diabetic status was a stage when patient had blood sugar levels above normal levels but it was below the prescribed levels for diabetes, said Dr Gupta. Such people had great chance to develop diabetes in future, may be within next 4-5 years.

Councillor Sunita Sharma, Mr Uma Dutt Sharma, Mr Pushap Kamal, Mr Shiv K.Sharma, and other NIMA doctors, including Dr S. Kakar, Dr Vinod Dharni, Dr Sarjeevan Sharma, Dr Khangoora, Dr P.P. Singh, Dr Ashok Puri, Dr D.P. Goyal and Dr Sarbjit Singh were also present on the occasion.

Health panel threatens stir over transfer of staff
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 11
The Coordination Committee of Paramedical and Health Employees, Punjab, has termed June 1 as “black day” in the history of the Health Department when hundreds of rural health institutions were handed over to zila parishads and healthcare came in the hands of doctors appointed on contract basis.

At a state body meeting of the committee held at the ESI Hospital here today under the presidentship of Ravinder Luthra, chairman, the members took exception to the mass dislocation of medical officers and pharmacists as a result of privatisation and threatened to launch a mass agitation in the state if the government failed to dispense justice to paramedical and health employees.

The members observed that the Directorate of Health had issued new posting orders for pharmacists who had been shifted to far-flung areas and a similar fate awaited class IV employees of the department.

They called upon the government to revoke the new posting orders of pharmacists and evolve a comprehensive policy to ensure that pharmacists and class IV employees remained within their blocks.

The committee also demanded acceptance and implementation of other demands listed in the memorandum, submitted to the government, at the earliest to check the growing discontent among health employees.

Prominent among those present at the meeting were convener Bhajan Singh, chief organiser Sardara Singh Gill, finance secretary Simarjeet Kaur, co-convener Amarjit Singh Pandher, Jaswinder Singh Patti, Kulwant Singh Panchi, Mohinder Pal, Lachman Singh Bhola, Buta Singh, Avinash Chander, Surjit Singh, Balbir Kalia, Hakam Singh, Sikander Singh and Sat Pal Singh Sahota.