HEALTH

Two-day CME on geriatric diseases
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15
A two-day continuing medical education (CME) programme on geriatric diseases was inaugurated at the Western Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir. Geriatrics is the study of disorders suffered by elderly persons.

In his inaugural address, the GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen Surjit Singh, emphasised upon the importance of research and study in the field of geriatric diseases. Stating that such programmes helped to keep the medical fraternity abreast of the latest developments in their field, he expressed hope that both, the hospital faculty as well as participants would benefit from the proceedings.

Welcoming the delegates on the occasion, the hospital Commandant, Maj Gen P Dayal, highlighted the aim of the CME and said that the life average expectancy in India, which is presently 64 years, is expected to touch 70 years by 2020, which required greater focus on old-age diseases.

In his keynote address, Maj Gen P Subhas, Commandant of the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital, New Delhi, delved on various aspects of organ preservation in cancer cases. A souvenir was also released on the occasion by the Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen H S Kanwar.

During a scientific session later, Lt Col N S Maini gave a presentation on pathogenesis and physiology of ageing, while Lt Col V Rai highlighted challenges to pri-operative and critical care in elderly patients.

Dr S Prabhakar, Head of the Department of Neurology, PGI, gave a talk on ‘Management of dementia’, while Col C M Adya and Lt Col S M Bhatnagar evaluated joint disorders in geriatrics and new hopes emerging in the field of osteoarthritis.

DMC employees feel ignored
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 15
The DMC management and the employees union seem to be heading towards a showdown as the union leaders today decried being regularly ignored by the management and threatened to launch a series of protests if the management did not take them into confidence about the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital affairs.

While the union leaders have written several letters to the management expressing “their deep felt hurt at their ignorance” and demanded free treatment in the Hero DMC Heart Institute. The management, according to an official spokesperson, is unwilling to budge from its stand.

Addressing a press conference here today, the union decried what it termed as the “callous” attitude of the management towards them, Mr Chander Mohan Kalia, President, DMCH Employees Union, said that Hero DMC Heart Institute was part of the DMC and was governed by the service regulations framed by the management. He said service regulation No 1 (1) stated that all associated institutions, departments and agencies to be opened and established on the premises of the DMCH either independently or in collaboration with other individual or agency would mean the DMCH. Mr Kalia said, “It was unfortunate that at the formal inauguration ceremony of Hero DMC Heart Institute, which would be held on October 27, the employees were neither informed nor taken into confidence by the management”.

Mr Kalia said that the Blood Bank supplying blood to the institute was common as was the library of both the institutes. Besides, the accounts clerks, laundry and income tax code, all the administrative work and the electric connection were common. “It is absolutely wrong to say that Hero DMC Heart Institute was different from the DMCH?”, said Mr Irfan Ahmed, legal adviser of the union.

The union leaders alleged that their employers were harassing them by not even granting them the emergency leave. Mr Ashok Kumar, the union secretary, said, “We are never invited to any suggestion or opinion regarding the function of the institute despite being in service for more than 15 years. They have always been framing their own systems and we feel dejected by the managements’ callous attitude”.

Vision awareness lecture
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 15
Dr Jatinder Mohan Singh, eye specialist, gave a demonstration on the topic of “Poor vision effect academic performance” at Baba Isher Singh Senior Secondary School, B.R.S.Nagar, yesterday to make every one take care of one’s precious eyes. He stressed that due to certain misconceptions, students, parents as well as teachers ignore this precious part of the human body.

He recommended that proper diet, using spectacles (when vision is poor), right posture while reading and writing, proper lighting in the classroom as well as a studying room, proper washing of the eyes with water could keep many type of infections away. He also stressed upon teachers and parents to motivate the children and explain that wearing of glasses makes them more smarter and confident and does not impair their personality.

First free neuro camp in Punjab
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 15
To commemorate the seventh annual day, the Arora Neuro Centre is currently organising a free medical camp for brain, spine, muscle and nerve diseases at its newly set up Satellite Centre in Udham Singh Nagar. The camp will continue till October 16. Mr Chander Shekhar, Inspector-General of Police, Punjab, inaugurated the camp yesterday.

Free consultation is being provided by specialists, Dr O.P. Arora and Dr S.K. Bansal, and their team. According to the director of the camp, Dr Neelam Arora, there was a massive response to the camp.

New OPD timings
Our Correspondent

Phillaur, October 15
The Punjab Government has changed the timings of the out-patient department in all government civil hospitals, dispensaries, ayurvedic hospitals and ayurvedic dispensaries of the state with effect from October 16.

Disclosing this, a spokesman of the Health Department said here today that now all OPDs of these hospitals would open for patients from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from tomorrow.

Badminton title for Gurbux
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, October 15
Second seed, Gurbux Singh scored an upset victory over top seed Raj Kumar to emerge as champion (u-13) in the Rajesh Dhir Benefit Punjab State Sub-Junior and Veteran Badminton Championship which concluded here today.

Gurbux Singh, a student of class VIII of Alpine International Public School, Ludhiana stunned Raj Kumar, also a student of same school in the final at 3-1. Gurbux Singh waged a spirited battle in the first game before going down at 4-7, but won the second game hands down 7-0.

In the third game, Raj Kumar struggled hard but Gurbux kept his composure in crucial rallies to sew it up at 7-3. Gurbux Singh played a series of smashes and drops in the fourth game and wrapped it up at 7-4.

Earlier, in the semi-finals, Gurbux Singh got the better of Bob Sharma of Ludhiana 7-1, 7-3 and 7-3 while Raj Kumar scraped past Anandbudh from Jalandhar 7-3,7-5, 3-7, 6-8 and 7-5.