HEALTH

Doctors hold protest rally
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
Doctors working in General Hospital, Sector 16, and allied dispensaries remained on an hour-long strike from 9 am to 10 am today to protest against the alleged wrong repatriation of a doctor to his parent state by the UT Administration.

All work in the OPD came to a standstill for an hour with the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) joining in the rally. The JDA has its own set of demands from the Administration which include parity of pay scale for house surgeons on a par with GMCH and withdrawal of fee levied for imparting internship training in the city.

The doctors continued to wear black badges after the rally and the hospital work returned to its normal pace. Although the doctors have decided to wear black badges till Monday to show their resentment no gate rallies will be held till Monday morning.

Unconfirmed reports, however, state that the repatriation orders of Dr Prashar to his hometown have been stayed till the Director, Health Services, Dr Rameshwar Chander, returns to the city. Dr Chander is in Hyderabad.

More than 50 doctors of General Hospital, Sector 16, held a protest rally at the hospital today crippling the normal working of the hospital for over two hours. The doctors were protesting against the decision of the UT Administration to repatriate Dr Prashar, a doctor in the Department of Surgery to his home state Haryana. The doctors allege that Dr Prashar has been repatriated unfairly specially when his total service during this deputation is less than one year.

Anti-smoking steps commended
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
A seminar held on the IDS premises in Sector 26 here yesterday highlighted the lethal effects of smoking tobacco. The participants included former smokers, executive officers, medical men and pharmaceutical representatives.

Dr Gaurav Agarwal, a well-known physician, Executives Deepak (Human Resource) and Avinash (IDS) drew cheers when they announced that more and more people working with them were leaving smoking to avoid the risk of heart disease and cancer. GlaxoSmithKline, the producer of Zyban, an anti-smoking medicine, came for commendation at the seminar.

Workshop on ‘barrier’ nursing
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
A 10-day workshop on “barrier nursing” started at the PGI here today. Funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the workshop will be attended by the nursing staff of the PGI.

The workshop is aimed at preventing the spread of infection not only among patients but also among the nurses. It was stressed on the first day of the workshop today that there was the need to reorient and refresh their knowledge and skill so that the chain of disease transmission which was the ultimate aim of the barrier nursing was broken.

Mrs Saroj Parwez, Chief Nursing Officer, PGI, inaugurated the workshop.

SPORTS

SD College-32, PU campus win judo titles
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, December 5
GGD SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, and Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh were declared overall winners in the men and women section, respectively, of the Panjab University Judo tournament played here today on the PU campus. In men section, Government College Hoshiarpur and DAV College, Chandigarh, secured joint second place while SGGS College, Chandigarh, got third place.

In women section, the GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, got second place, the MCM DAV College for Women got the third place while GGD SD College, Chandigarh third place.

New record

Aaya Singh of Arya College, Ludhiana, made a new record in the broad jump in men section of the Panjab University Annual Athletic Meet here on the university campus grounds. The other winners were: hammer throw — Gurinder Pal Singh of DAV College-10; javelin throw — Bikramjit Singh of DAV-10; pole vault — Davinder Singh of GGS DAV, Jallabad; and 5000 metres — Puran Chand of SGGS, Chandigarh.

Cricket books

The PCA Cricket stadium, SAS Nagar was abuzzed with another activity, that of selling of cricket books and collectibles. Large number of fans could be seen thronging the venue near the gate No I, where a stall was put up by Marine Sports, Mumbai.

The local fans found Daily Telegraph one-day international cricket records, wickets in the east, guide to the ICC World Cup — England 99, World Cup fun and quiz book, and many others at very affordable price.

England coach injured

The head coach of the visiting England team Duncan Fletcher got minor injury in his knee during the net practice in the evening hours. Though doctors from the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, advised MRI, but they have, however, given okay to his knee.

B’ball meet

DAV College, Sector 10 defeated Government College, Sector 11, at 50-16 with half-time score of 32-7 in the inaugural match of the Chandigarh Senior State Basketball Meet here today at Sports Complex, Sector 7. In the girls section, MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, also emerged winners.

ADMINISTRATION

New house allotment rules for GMCH staff
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
The Chandigarh Administration has made some amendments to the rules for allotment of houses to doctors and employees of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. This will simplify the entitlement rules under various categories.

In the amendments, the Secretary, Medical Education and Research, Mr Raminder Singh Gujral, has said that Type V houses may be allotted to professors due to shortage of Type VI houses. However, this is subject to acceptance by the allottee. The same type of houses is to be allotted to readers and also senior lecturers who have the requisite experience for appointment as reader. One Type V house has been reserved as a creche.

Type IV houses can be allotted to senior lecturers, lecturers, married senior residents, demonstrators and EMOs, living with spouse and gazetted officer. For Type III houses the entitlement will be of Group ‘C’ employees, except single nurses drawing a basic pay of Rs 1600 and above in the pay scale applicable from January 1, 1986.

Further nurses can be provided with Type III accommodation as and when they become eligible. That is from the date of their marriage by considering their seniority from the date of joining the GMCH.

Type II houses have been reserved for Group ‘C’ employees . Type I houses for Group ‘D’ and ‘C’ employees when they are considered for allotment on an out-of-turn basis.