Chandigarh, May 9
The institute body of the PGIMER has given its nod for filling 400 posts, including faculty, paramedics, nurses and other supportive staff at super specialty centres like advance paediatric centre, advance eye centre, bone marrow centre and cardiac centre of the institute.

The meeting of the body was held at New Delhi today.

The body has given its approval to proposal of the standing finance committee for the increase in the charges of OPD cards and emergency ward admission cards.

The standing finance committee at its meeting on March 20 had proposed the charging of Rs 20 from patients at emergency, a 100 per cent increase from the Rs 10 being charged now.

Though there would be no change in the amount of charges for patients visiting OPDs, the duration of validity for OPD cards had been reduced from one year to six months.

Earlier, patients had to pay Rs 10 a year to avail of the OPD services but now they would have to pay Rs 20 for the same period.

Chandigarh, May 9
Every morning at 8 am, patients from Dadu Majra - mostly daily wagers and those from poor socio-economic strata - line up at the government dispensary for medical check-up, hoping that they will be free by 9 am and go to their work.

It is another matter that the staff at the dispensary do not believe in punctuality. Patients are the ultimate sufferers as rarely does the dispensary open before 8.30 am.

The recent advice of Punjab Governor and UT administrator Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) to doctors seems to have fallen on their deaf ears.

Speaking at the health mela on May 13 at Bapu Dham colony, the Governor had warned doctors that they were losing the battle on healthcare front as the poor could not avail themselves of the services.

Staff at dispensary have their own argument for their coming late to work. “We usually arrive at 8 am. It is just occasional that we arrive late,” said Dr Pradeep, who arrived at 8.35 am.

A team of Chandigarh Tribune this morning found just two employees - a woman working in the room for revised national tuberculosis control programme (RNTCP) and a technician - reporting for work on time.

The injection room and room meant for malaria tests were lying unattended to even after 8.40 am.

The ultimate sufferers were patients and their attendants who had come to the dispensary early.

Jugal Kishor Jha, a resident of colony, who came with his wife said: “I reached here around 8 am hoping to be relieved just in time for me to go to work, which begins at 9 am.”

“But it seems I have to come another day, as I am running out of time,” rued Jha.

On being asked about the doctor and registration clerk, a sweeper, busy at work around 8.15 am, said they would arrive shortly.

The registration room attendant reached around 8.25 am.

Dr Pradeep denied that they were habitual latecomers.

Chandigarh, May 9
The Umeed project for the rehabilitation of the mentally challenged is being expanded.

According to a press note issued here today, Umeed is short listing mentally challenged persons and their families from the BPL category for employment at additional kiosks being set up. The short listed persons will be given training before employment.

Sixteen children and 12 parents have already been employed by Umeed and are paid salaries out of the savings of the project. The salaries of the children go to their bank accounts, the press note added. — TNS

Chandigarh, May 9
Himal Gusain of St Xavier's School, Sector 44, Chandigarh, emerged winner in the men's section with 6 points while Shweta of MCM DAV College, Chandigarh, grabbed first place in the women's section with 5 points in the 18th Chandigarh Chess Championship 2007.

The meet concluded at St Xavier's Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, here, today.

Meanwhile, four players from the men's category — Himal Gusain, Swapan Kumar, Naveen Bansal and Ajay Jaswal — have been selected to represent Chandigarh in the national B Chess Championship to be held at Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.

An equal number of players from the women's category — Shweta, Rishu Rathi, Simranjeet Kaur and Ravneet Kaur — have been selected to represent Chandigarh at the national being held at Hyderabad.

Final results:

6 points: Himal Gusain;

5.5 points: Swapan Kumar;

5 points: Naveen Bansal, Ajay Jaswal and Abhinandan Vohra;

4.5 points: Sanjeev Biswas, Shirish and Harinderpal Singh;

4 points: Ameek Malhotra, Simranjeet Singh, Baij Nath, Prasad, Manish Sehgal, S.S. Cheema, Sahil Dhawan, Vipin Negi, Gurpreet and K. Aditya;

3.5 points: Sunil Bansal, Mohit Arora, Rohit Chodha, Rishu Rathi, Simranjit Kaur and Ravneet Kaur;

3 points: Karan Bhatti, Surya Mittal, Vikram Hooda, Arunima Goyal, Ishan, Mayank Sharma and Anubhav Tuknayat.

2.5 points: Gitin Oberoi, Prakhar Gusain, Anita, Shivam Rathi, Reeta Gupta

2 points: Kusum Kumari, Savinder Kaur

Parwanoo, May 9
The Himachal volleyball teams (boys and girls) got a rousing welcome at the Kalka railway station, today. The girls’ team had won the bronze medal in a national-level youth tournament held at Kerala. The teams, which reached the railway station at 5 am, were en-route to Shimla to attend a felicitation function.

Champa, Reena and Lalita from the girls’ team and Neeraj and Vikrant from the boys’ team have been selected as probables for the Indian team. They will join a camp at Bangalore for the final selection of the national team.

The teams were received by the office-bearers of the District Volleyball Association, Panchkula, led by its general secretary Subash Chaudhary. Harmail Dhiman, Himachal Pradesh BJP leader, was also present on the occasion.

Chandigarh, May 9
The Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association has released its calendar for the 2007 - 08 session, here today. The association will select the city women’s team to participate in the All-India Open Women Boxing Championship to be held at Nainital from May 27 to 31.

The Chandigarh State Senior Men and Women Boxing Championships will be held in July here. — TNS