HEALTH

GMCH-32 struggles to operate operation theatres
Neelam Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21
Operating theatres (OTs) in Block A of Emergency at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, here remain unused due to extreme shortage of senior residents.

With the hospital riding high on the fact that it has made 14 OTs functional, the acute shortage of senior residents (SR) in Departments of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care are virtually making it impossible for the hospital to run all general emergency OTs simultaneously.

While there are seven OTs in Block A, three of them are specifically for Departments of Urology, Eye and Gynaecology. A separate SR each is deployed at these three specific OT tables, but the real problem arises in case of the remaining four OTs meant for surgery of patients landing in the hospital emergency.

While experts say at least one SR is required at each OT table during a surgery in addition to other experts, a glance at the duty roster of the department clearly indicates that only one SR is available to manage the entire day at general emergency.

“Though there are four OT tables, there is only one SR to manage the all four. In no way can all four emergency OTs run simultaneously and utility of the remaining three comes to nothing. Some time ago, consultants would ask one person to start working on the other table when a surgery on one of the tables was almost over. But that arrangement too did not last long,” said a senior resident.

Sources say though all OTs are fully equipped with an investment of nearly Rs 50 lakh on each table, their lying unused defeats the purpose. “Though OTs in Block C have been opened recently for routine surgeries, it has not helped much as the SRs available in the department remain the same. In addition to OTs, 14 intensive care units (ICU) in Block A and C are also supposed to be managed by SRs, but we have deployed junior residents at the units,” said a hospital official.

While the department currently has eight SRs against the required 20, with one SR having proceeded on maternity leave and the tenure of two others having completed, officials say advertising posts may solve all problems.

Transit camp extension inaugurated at PGI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21
The Director PGI, Prof K.K. Talwar, inaugurated a transit camp extension at PGI sarai here today. Around 200 helpless and unknown patients are being looked after by Lifeline, an NGO, at transit camps at the PGI.

The president of Lifeline, Mr Ravinder Gupta, said more than 7,500 patients were being treated in the emergency ward and attendants were working round the clock in the emergency. Similarly, in the transit camp, an attendant was available round the clock to assist the patients. He said all facilities, including mattresses, bed sheets and blankets, were being provided to patients.

To help renal patients, who after having a successful kidney transplant find it hard to afford the post-surgery medication, Lifeline donated medicines among them at the inauguration ceremony and planned to adopt more patients.

The Dean, PGI, Prof Sudha Suri, was also present.

Machine out of order at PGI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21
Patients lining up for uroflow test at the OPD of the PGI’s Department of Urology are a harassed lot as the testing machine is out of order. “We are required to drink more than two litres of water before the test. But after drinking a lot of water, we are told that the machine is out of order. Many of us have been coming in the OPD thrice or even more but every time we are given the same reply that the machine is out of order,” said one of the patients.

When contacted, one of the senior faculty members of the department said they had not received any complaint so far.

CBI team visits PGI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21
A special team of the CBI New Delhi office, visited the PGI today to inquire into the shop allotment case in which allegations of favouritism were levelled against former Union Health Minister C.P. Thakur.

The team met former PGI Director Prof S.K. Sharma during whose tenure the controversy of the shop allotment was raked up. Team members also met other officials of the institute.

A chemist shop, owned by Capt Parminder Singh, near the Super Bazar on the PGI complex, had come under controversy following allegations that Mr Thakur indulged in favouritism as regards allotment of the shop on lower rent.

SPORTS

Khushwant squashes Vipul in straight sets
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, August 21
Khushwant Singh Sandhu won the Chandigarh Senior Squash Championship held today at the Sector 7 sports complex. In the finals played he beat Vipul Kashyap of the UIET in straight sets 9-2, 9-4, 10-8. Amit Bahri of Punjab Engineering College, Sector 12, came third. The meet was organised by the Squash Rackets Association of Chandigarh.

Carrom tournament

St Joseph's Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, on Saturday bagged honours in the under-14 and 19 in the UT Inter-School Carrom Tournament (girls) played at St Stephen’s School, Sector 45. Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Sector 26, won the under-17 title.

In the under-14 section St Joseph’s School, Sector 44, defeated Sacred Heart School 2-1 while in the under-19 section they got the better of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 20 (3-0). However, in the under-17 section Sacred Heart School beat Mt Carmel, Sector 47, 2-1.

Badminton coaching camp

The Chandigarh Badminton Association will hold a coaching camp for probables for the north zone inter-state and sub-junior national badminton meets from August 27 to September 7. The two meets will be held from September 27 to 29 in Panchkula and in Chandigarh from October 10 to 16, respectively.

Giving this information, Mr M.C. Sethi, president of the association, said the probables would be given Rs 20 daily for refreshment, besides juices.

Mr T.P.S. Puri, general secretary of the association, stated that the state badminton championship would be held from September 9 to 12 at the Sector 42 indoor hall.

Handball tournament

DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, downed Guru Nanak College, Killianwali, 30-20 with half time score of 14-9 at the Panjab University Inter-College Zonal Handball Tournament played here on Saturday on the PU campus. In other matches of the day SGGS College, Sector 26, beat Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh, 44-8 with half time score of 27-7 while GDSD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, went down fighting to SGD Government College, Ludhiana, 13-22.

Girls football meet

As many eight girl teams of various city schools will take part in the Chandigarh Junior Girls Football Championship going to begin from August 23 at St Stephen’s School, Sector 45. The teams are St Stephen’s Sector 45, Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, Government Model Senior Secondary school, Sector 35, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46 and B teams of Sacred Heart School Sector 26 and St Stephen’s School Sector 45, besides Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10, and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 23.

Nine-ball pool tourney

Gaurav Rai and Ashish Gupta surged ahead on the opening day of the Fourth Haryana State Nine-Ball Pool Tournament which began at the Asia Billiards, Sector 34, here today.

Results are: Simrat Panjeta b Vishal Saboo 5-3; Jaswinder b Maninder 5-1; Amit Kinger b Ashish Gupta 5-4; Aman Goel b Shiv 5-1; Arun Lamba b Manu Singh 5-4; Kapil b Subodh 5-3; Vishal Mor b Manav Sardana 5-4; Mayank b Aditya Dhawan 5-1; Divya Sharma b Sumit Behl 4-2; Ashish Gupta b Puneet 5-2; and Gaurav Rai b Mohit Goel 5-0.

Abhinav broke Atlanta Olympics record
Our Sports Reporter