Ludhiana, October 20
Civil Hospitals in the state would no longer remain the sole domain of the government. The Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) has invited private parties to set up infrastructure like X-Ray, CT Scan, ultrasound, biochemistry lab and other diagnostic equipment all over the state that would work on a profit sharing basis.

According to informed sources, the decision was taken by officials of the PHSC, keeping in view the sorry state of affairs in various Civil Hospitals and community health centres in the state where the medical equipment is either non-existent or rendered non-functional due to technical faults. The PHSC has recently received huge World Bank aid for upgrading the health infrastructure in the state.

It may be mentioned that Punjab Health Corporation has received over Rs 400 crore for the upgradation of its infrastructure.

Dr Jaspal Singh Bhullar, Deputy Medical Commissioner, Ludhiana, while talking to Ludhiana Tribune confirmed the above move and said that it would definitely improve the health services in the Civil Hospitals of the state. He further added: “Though the services will be rendered by private persons, they will definitely be cheaper as compared to other private diagnostic centres”. On asking about those who could not afford it, Dr Bhullar said: “Below poverty line persons are issued yellow cards by the state government (after identification) so that the persons who cannot afford the cost of the tests or treatment will be provided with free services”.

Dr Bhullar said that in Ludhiana, this project would be completed by December, 2001.

Dr Tarlok Nath, Deputy Civil Surgeon said that this privatisation move will involve giving of space, electricity and water facilities free by the PHSC, but the equipment and other infrastructure will be put up by private parties. He said that according to directions, the rates of these services would be fixed by the PHSC taking into consideration the cost and the prevailing market rates. He also confirmed that diagnostic facilities can be set up by non-professionals but will be managed by qualified professionals as per the government conditions.

These private entrepreneurs will provide diagnostic facilities in the areas, including ultrasound, CT Scan, X-Ray, biochemistry lab, histopathology lab, ECG and EEG.

These private facilities will be provided in the districts of Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepure, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Nawanshehar, Patiala, Rupnagar and Sangrur. The facilities would be put up in hospitals with 100-400 beds in these districts.

In the subdivisions hospitals with 50-100 beds capacity would be targeted, while these private diagnostic facilities would also be provided in 30-bed community health centres.

Ludhiana, October 20
The Municipal Corporation has been entrusted with the job of executing various development projects, approved by the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, during the day-long sangat darshan programme in Ludhiana north assembly constituency in the city.

Giving this information, the MC Additional Commissioner, Mr Raminder Singh said cheques worth Rs 90 lakh, issued on the spot in the programme, had been deposited with the civic body today. The Chief Minister, he added, had issued instructions that estimates of the works, for which funds were provided, be prepared within three days and completed within two months.

The funds include Rs 5 lakh each for the purchase of equipment for New Star Club Hospital and construction of streets in Bhaura Colony and Rs 3 lakh for construction of Guru Ram Das Dispensary near PNB (ward no 4), Rs 3 lakh for providing traffic lights at Basti Jodhewal Chowk and Rs 10 lakh for the construction of bridge at Budha Nulla, near Kashmir Nagar (ward no 60).

Works to be executed in ward no 62 were installation of a tube well in Gulchaman Gali at a cost of Rs 1.25 lakh, and construction of Sanatan Dharam Mahavir Hospital and Sanatan Dharam Sankirtan Dharamshala at a cost of Rs 5.25 lakh. In ward no 63, Rs 5 lakh each were provided for the construction of indoor stadium in Kamla Lohtia SD College and the construction of ceremony hall in Shanti Ghat cremation ground, Daresi Road, and another Rs 2 lakh for dharamshala near Valmik Sabha School.

In ward no 64, Rs 2 lakh each would be spent on the construction of dharamshalas in Basti Jodhewal, Arya School Road, Shivpuri, near Premsar Gurdwara; and near Arya Girls School and a similar amount for expansion and renovation of Government Middle School, Mohalla Fatehgarh. Another Rs 3 lakh would be spent on the construction of Valmik Dharamashala.

Other projects, to be taken up by the MC are construction of Brahaman Sabha Dharamshala at a cost of Rs 2 lakh (ward no 66), Rs 2 lakh each for dharamshalas at Preet Nagar, Nanak Nagar, Santokh Nagar, Karabara, Arjan Nagar and Ravi Das Chowk (all in ward no 67). In addition, Rs 2 lakh were released for the construction of dharamshala in Chawni Mohalla (no 68), Rs 3.80 for laying premix carpet from Shamshan Ghat to Dhobi Ghat and Rs 5 lakh for the construction of senior citizen home for the Shiv Charan Welfare Society (ward no 70).