HEALTH

IMA flays Fortis for sacking Dr Trehan
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 20
The Ludhiana branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has reacted to the sacking of internationally acclaimed cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan by Fortis Hospital Expressing solidarity with him, it placed on record his great contribution to the field of cardiac care in India. The IMA president, Dr Arun Mitra, said it was unfortunate that the union government had washed its hands off services like health and education and had given a free hand to the private sector, which was out to exploit the situation to its advantage.

"Reckless privatisation of health services allowed by the government is showing its ugly results and people should be prepared to pay a very heavy price for the same," Dr Mitra added.

Dr Rajeev Gupta, city-based psychiatrist, and IMA secretary observed that with the opening of medical services to the corporate sector, the state had to ensure that the medical professionals were given due respect and not treated like doormats.

"For the business community, running hospitals mean profits alone whereas for the medical fraternity, welfare of the patients remains the first and foremost priority, and this is what leads to clash of interests and differences between the two factions," he maintained.

IMA vice-president and prominent neuro-surgeon of the region Dr M.K. Sobti said it was high time for the medical community to unite while terming the treatment given to Dr Trehan by Fortis management as reprehensible. The shabby treatment meted out to a person of Dr Trehan's stature ought to be condemned by the entire society.

Echoing similar views, Dr Kulwant Singh, another vice-president of the IMA said the whole episode was unfortunate. The attitude of hospital management amply displayed that those running big hospitals on subsidised lands and public money had scant respect for the medical professionals employed by them.

Over 200 examined in cardiac camp
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 20
More than 200 patients were examined at a free heart and medical camp organised in Baba Balak Nath Mandir, here, today by a team of doctors and technicians from Hero DMC Heart Institute (HDHI), in association with the Himachal Jan Kalyan Sabha.

Counselling the patients on the occasion, Dr G.S. Wander, chief cardiologist and coordinator and Dr Rohit Tandon, consultant physician, advised them to keep their hypertension and diabetes under check.

"Those who are hypertensive and/or diabetic have a high probability of developing undetected and serious medical complications. High blood pressure and diabetes often occur together and if left untreated, can lead to serious consequences. If someone has diabetes, he or she is much more likely to have a stroke, heart disease, or a heart attack."

However, those at risk could cut down their chances of having these problems by taking special care of their heart and blood vessels. And the earlier one was able to seek advice on such care, the better were the chances of effective medical management," the doctors remarked.

According to Dr Wander, with changes in one's lifestyle, such diseases were now becoming common even in those sections of society where earlier they were seen less often.

Such medical camps served the purpose of creating awareness in every section of the society, so that timely preventive measures could be taken and the society as a whole had a healthy future.

Kuldeep Singh Rana, president of the Himachal Sabha, assured that the organisation would hold such camps on a regular basis to ensure proper medical check-up and follow-up treatment of patients.

At the camp, free investigative tests were conducted and medicines were distributed free of cost.

Sleep disorder common in rural, urban population
Our Correspondent

Doraha, May 20
The first of its kind, a medical check-up camp at Sidhu Hospital, Doraha, was inaugurated by Dr G Awasthi, medical director of SPS Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, today.

Speaking on the occasion, he expressed his happiness that all kinds of specialised medical services and treatment were available in the hospital which was catering to a large urban and rural population.

More than 300 serious patients were examined for various ailments by a team of doctors. Medicines were provided free of cost.

The examining team consisted of doctors like Dr Gursaran Kaur Sidhu, Dr R.P. Singh, cardiologist, Dr Dinesh Goyal, chest specialist, Dr Arvind Verma, DRM oncologist, Dr Ramanvir Saluja, endocrinologist, and Dr Ritu Malhotra, skin specialist.

While inaugurating the world-class sleep lab with latest 44 channel sleep diagnostics system, Dr Gursaran Kaur Sidhu, HOD, Medical Deptartment said OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) was a very common sleep disorder found in people from urban and rural areas alike. Its symptoms were excessive day time sleepiness, high blood pressure and tiredness during day, not waking-up fresh in the morning, frequent waking-up during night, snoring, obesity and chocking of breath during sleep. She further said these disorders should be treated at the earliest as these directly effect the health of an individual and deteriorate the quality of life.

SPORTS

Sports wing opened for girls at Latala school
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 20
With an intention to identify and promote budding kabaddi players in rural parts of the state, the Punjab sports department has opened a day scholar sports wing (kabaddi) for girls at Shaheed Kartar Singh Dukki Government Senior Secondary School, Latala, in Ludhiana district, near here.

The decision was taken after the outstanding performance of girls of the school in national-level competitions held recently.

According to Krishna Sharda, principal of the school, the state sports department had opened a sports wing for the girl day scholars of the institute and other girls selected by the district sports department. In all 18 girls have started taking training in kabaddi.

Budh Singh Ghungrana, district kabaddi coach, said Pargat Singh, director, sports, Punjab, had called for suggestions for opening two wings for schoolgirls in the state. “As a large number of girls from Jand, Latala and Ranguwal villages had exhibited outstanding performance in the game at the state and national levels during past years, we impressed upon the authorities to open one wing at Latala school,” said Budh Singh, adding that another wing was opened at Sohana.

He claimed that the participants would be getting special diet and free medicine besides routine education expenses.

According to him, the school has been chosen on the basis of laurels brought to the district by Paramjit Kaur, Kiran Deep and Tejinder Kaur, who had won medals in various categories.