Doctors not to bow to govt pressure
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 1
Though the government is adamant on implementing the orders to abolish NPA and removing ban on private practice with effect from August 1, but the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association has refused to recover the loss in the pay from the pocket of common man. With the implementation of orders to abolish NPA after August 1, the association would oppose any move of the health authorities to compell any doctor to work for more than 36 hours in a week, like a ‘bonded labourer.’

In a press note issued here, Dr Hardeep Singh, President, of the state PCMS Association has declared that as a matter of principle, the doctors would not agree to do private practice. The bureaucrats want to lure the medical fraternity, to collect money from the pocket of a common man. Bureaucracy is again conspiring to confuse NPA with private practice and not yet, offered any alternate after August 1, to run the health centres for 24 hours and on holidays, for which the doctors were paid NPA. If they were thinking about posting more general duty doctors, then, what about those on call duty of specific specialist services? Government has been misled by the bureaucrats about the basics reason of NPA for doctors and had miscalculated figures about the amount. It would not any way improve the financial crisis being faced by the state.

Dr Balwinder Kumar, general secretary of district unit of the PCMSA added that, with the implementation of orders to abolish NPA after August 1, the association would oppose any move of the health authorities to compel any doctor to work for more than 36 hours in a week. The doctors will hold a protest rally at ESI Hospital, in protest against the implementation of such anti-people decisions. The PCMS representatives have appealed to the doctors who have resigned not to leave the service in frustration but to continue their struggle for justice, till the withdrawal of the orders regarding the NPA and temptation of private practice. 

Digital hearing aid
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 1
It is digital aid for deafness now. The digital technology that supercedes the conventional technology in terms of better sound, better speech discrimination, better understanding, low-noise factor, low interference, better mobile and cell phone compatibility are the main features.

According to Dr Naresh Malhotra, a leading ENT specialist and former Head, ENT Department, Christian Medical College and Hospital, he tried the combination of early diagnosis, upgraded technology and special training to hearing impaired.

Quoting the latest surveys, he revealed that 10 per cent people in the country were suffering from hearing problems and of this 6 per cent were living in rural areas. He pointed out that the reason remained lack of knowledge and awareness about the hearing aids and the solutions to their hearing problems.

Dr Malhotra said that the digital technology in hearing aids was a boon to the hearing impaired people.

Their usage along with better therapy has made the hearing almost natural.

He revealed that the “results have been more than satisfactory even in severe to profound hearing impaired people”.

This, he added, has made hearing possible without any surgery.

BVM girls win TT title
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, August 1
Giving a stupendous performance, students of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, recorded a 3-0 win over Alpine International Public School, Green Land Senior Secondary School, G T Road, beat Government School, Cemetery Road, 3-0 while Alpine International Public School defeated Kundan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Civil Lines, 3-1 to win the titles in the under-14, under-17 and under-19 groups, respectively in the girls section of the Zonal Schools Tournament that began at various venues here today.

In the table tennis matches, played at Kundan Vidya Mandir School, Civil Lines, BVM School paddlers (u-14 years), Kirti, Nirdosh and Shweta proved too good for their opponents from Alpine School — Shruti, Smriti and Manider Kaur. In the first match, Kirti defeated Shruti 11-6, 11-7 while in the second match, Nirdosh Sharma faced no challenge from Smriti. Nirdosh came out triumphant quite easily 11-2, 11-1.

The third match between Shweta and Maninder Kaur turned out to be a well-fought battle. In the first set, Shweta went down fighting 8-11, however in the next game, she returned into the game with a bang and won it 11-6. In the third game, Maninder, again gave some anxious moments to Shweta, who after surviving some scare romped home at 13-11. In the deciding set, Shweta gavc a little chance to Maninder to settle down and wrapped it up 11-5 and helped her school to emerge as champions.

In the under-17 years category, Green Land Senior Secondary School registered a win in an identical fashion (3-0) over Government School, Cemetery Road, Civil Lines.

In the first match, Eeti prevailed over Pradeep 11-9, 11-7 while Avneet outplayed Babita 11-6 and 11-6 and Amanpreet Kaur got the better of Neha 11-8 and 11-7 to enable Green Land School lift the trophy.

In the under-19 years category, Alpine International Public School managed to outclass Kundan Vidya Mandir School 3-1 to annex to the title.

Neha Sharma of Alpine School drubbed Anchal of KVM School 11-2, 11-4. Deepti of KVM School squared it up in the next match by defeating Sakshi 11-7 and 11-8. In the third match, Alpine School again went into the lead through Nidhi who beat Manaswani 11-8, 13-11. In the fourth match, Sakshi proved her mettle by downing Anchal 11-6 and 11-9 and thus Alpine School won the final verdit 3-1.

TT teams for inter-zonal meet
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, August 1
The following boys and girls paddlers have been selected to represent Ludhiana in the inter-zonal schools table tennis tournament scheduled to be held at the RS Model Senior Secondary School here from August 6 to 8.

Girls (U-14) — Nirdosh Sharma, Shruti Lamba, Kirti Aggarwal and Kashish Batraall of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir School, Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, and Samriti of Alpine International Public School; U-17 — Avneet Kaur and Eeti, Amanpreet Kaur and Rita of Green Land Senior Secondary School, Neha Sharma of Government School, Cemetry School; U-19 years — Neha Gupta, Sakshi and Richa of Alpine International Public School, Manaswani and Deepti of Kundan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School.

Boys (U-14) — Abhijit, Manpreet, Savneet and Dharminder of Green Land Senior Secondary School and Jagdeep of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir School; U-17 — Kashish, Deepti and Varhsa of Alpine International Public School; Pramod of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir School and Piyush of Kundan Vidya Mandir School.