Chandigarh, April 11
Taking a cue from the PGI’s experiment of providing free first-prescription medicines to patients at the emergency, the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, is planning to follow suit.

Instead of providing medicines free on first prescription alone, the hospital authorities plan to extend this facility to the first 24 hours.

The hospital has a system to provide medicines free to patients coming unaccompanied under the poor free quota.

Treatment is provided free to such patients and funds are generally not a problem since it is a government set-up, says Prof Harsh Mohan.

Maintaining that the implementation of the revised plan will not take too long, he adds that equipment and medicines are available at the hospital.

It is only a matter of time and we have to work out a system to replenish stocks in a cyclic manner, he says.

Somebody has to maintain an inventory and we plan to initiate things on an experimental basis, he adds.

The decision has been prompted by a need to give the hospital a patient-friendly face, where crucial time is not lost in running around for medicines or making payments.

A similar programme is underway at the General Hospital, Sector 16.

Doctors maintain that drugs are provided free when a patient is wheeled in and treatment starts without delay.

The patient is charged for medicines administered after his condition has stabilised only if he is in a position to pay, says a doctor.

Chandigarh, April 11
It’s an attempt to cushion the shock that comes with being Type I diabetic and living on insulin for a lifetime. It’s about interacting with other Type I diabetics, who are success stories in their own right in spite of the ailment.

Friends for Diabetes, a club of diabetics, formed in November 2005 last year, held its first meeting here today. Patients of all age groups, including a two-year-old child, were there to share their experiences of living with diabetes.

“It’s about inspiring children through interactions to be able to cope with the problem. More than them, it’s about encouraging parents to have a heart and help their child deal with the disease,” says Dr Jayant Banerji, a consultant physician for diabetes.

Maintaining that all such children can live a normal life, Dr Banerji adds some children become successful in life despite the illness.

“Take Wasim Akram and Halle Berry for example, both Type I diabetic. So, the illness per se is not deterrent. The fact that insulin has to be injected is sometimes painful for the parents but the sooner they begin to live with it the better it is for the child and his family,” he says.

The meeting, held quarterly, was also an opportunity to dispel myths attached to diabetes. “Many parents believe that on a ‘sick day’, the child can ignore the insulin injection. However, they must realise that insulin injections should not be stopped only because a child is suffering from cold and cough. A patient can never stop insulin since he needs it every single day,” Dr Banerji maintains.

If stopped, it sends the sugar level spiralling and the patient invariably lands in hospital. Orthopaedician Dr Sanjay Saluja spoke to the group of 32 odd patients about caring well for their feet.

“Injury of the feet is very risky business in case of a Type I diabetes patient. They have to take proper care to ensure that the feet don’t get harmed in any way,” Dr Saluja said.

Chandigarh, April 11
Probables for participation in the ensuing National Masters Athletic Championship, scheduled to be held in Pondicherry, were selected on the basis of the trials conducted on Sunday at the Sports Complex, Sector 46, here. The trials were conducted by the Chandigarh Masters Athletic Association.

The selected probables are:

Men: Gobind Rai, Tarsem Lal, Pawan Kumar, Baljit Singh, Jatinder Marwaha, Ashok Kumar Puri, Sarjit Singh, Karnail Singh, Ishwar Dutt, M.L. Garg, Charan Singh, D.K. Saggar, Devinder Babu, Jaskaran, Ramesh Chander, Rakesh Kumar, Jaswinder Singh, Kaur Singh, Ram Dutt, Charan Preet, G.S. Birdi, Sat Prakash, Satminder Singh, Lalit Kumar, Y.M.K. Malhotra, B.M. Goel, Parveen Kumar, S.S. Lehri, K.S. Saini, Kulwant Singh, Jarnail Singh, Kulwant Singh Saini, Attar Singh, Jagir Singh, Kuldep Singh, Baldev Singh, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Inderjit Verma, Balbir Singh, Jaspal Singh, Teja Singh, Ahmed Husain, Bhushan Singh Rana, Dr Baljit Singh, Balwant Singh, Mehar Chand, Sham Lal Verma, Iqbal Singh, Mehar Singh, O.P. Shukla , Sukhdev Singh, Paramjit Singh Bhatti, Krishan Gopal, Charanjit Singh, Sukhram Singh, Roshan Lal, Rati Ram Chaudhary, Padam Singh Rana, Dharam Pal, Jagjiwan Singh, Sukhjinder Chopra, Jagpal Singh, Swaran Singh, Tarlochan Singh, Sukhpal Singh, Daya Nand, Sanjay Goel, Chand Ram, Gurmukh Singh, Prem Singh Sohi, Paramjit Singh, Baljinder Singh, Narinder Singh Bhangu, Om Prakash, Balwinder Kumar, Mohan Lal and Balbir Singh.

Women: Chanchal Saggar, Raj Bala, Sunita Rana, Satya Bala, Jaspal Kaur and Bhupinder Banta Singh.

Mohali, April 11
Dry leaves are set on fire by employees of sanitation contractors in various parts of the town in violation of pollution control norms.

Residents have often complained against such activities as it creates a lot of pollution in the area.

Whenever ‘safai sevaks’ get a chance, they resort to the shortcut of burning the leaves shed instead of lifting those.

Dry leaves were set on fire yesterday on the main road separating Phase IIIB1 and Phase IV and a similar sight was noticed in Phase VI.

Mr Amarjit Singh Sekhon, Executive Officer of the civic body, said he took a round of the town and saw leaves set on fire at five places.

He said he called both sanitation contractors to office and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on each of them for violating pollution control norms.