Upgraded PHC to be opened tomorrow

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062053690300.htm

Special Correspondent

Deliveries in PHCs in State have doubled, says Health Secretary at Medavakkam

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

READY FOR OPENING: Health Secretary V. K. Subburaj (left) at the upgraded PHC in Medavakkam on Wednesday. The facility is scheduled to be inaugurated on Saturday.

TAMBARAM: The number of deliveries in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the State has more than doubled in 2007-08, compared to the previous financial year, Secretary to the Department of Health and Family Welfare V. K. Subburaj said on Wednesday.

The number of deliveries, which was 80,000 in 2006-07, has increased to 1.73 lakh last financial year. That the number of deliveries in these health centres is the highest in the country is a pointer to the facilities available and faith of the people in the government hospitals. Of the 1,421 PHCs in the State, over 1,000 function round the clock.

Further, the appointment of adequate number of doctors and nurses has ensured that pregnant women rushed to the PHCs in odd hours are attended to instead of being referred to private hospitals, Mr. Subburaj said.

Maternity assistance schemes and overall improvement of facilities and services in the PHCs are the reasons for the increase in the number of deliveries, he added. About Rs.40 crore was being spent on upgrading 75 PHCs at the cost of Rs.55 lakh each.

Mr.Subburaj was talking to reporters at the PHC in Medavakkam, near here, which has been upgraded and scheduled to be inaugurated on Saturday by Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T. R. Baalu.

The PHC in Medavakkam has been upgraded in assistance with Catalyst Trust at the cost of Rs.1.8 crore. He said that for the first time, a non-governmental organisation volunteered to construct buildings and provide facilities for a PHC and the department would like to push this concept forward if other private companies and corporate houses were willing to support.

IT major Cognizant and construction firm Rajparis had created parks on the PHC premises and Phoenix Medical Systems had agreed to maintain medical equipment for five years.

In addition, Medavakkam panchayat and the Kancheepuram district administration too contributed by fencing the premises and would also be working along with Exnora International in maintaining the PHC’s premises clean and green, Mr. Subburaj added.

Apart from the 30 beds, the upgraded PHC is equipped with air-conditioned operation theatre and scanning rooms, centralised oxygen supply, a special ambulance for pregnant women, a steam laundry, blood storage facilities, solar heater and a generator.

S. Elango, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said the PHC would be tying up with other government institutions in and around Chennai.

They would be bringing officials from other districts to study the upgraded PHC in Medavakkam so that they could create similar facilities in their respective places, he said.

S. Krishnaswamy and R. Desikan, managing trustee and president respectively of Catalyst Trust, P. Padmanabhan, former Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, T. V. Anthony, former Chief Secretary and currently adviser to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and B. Ravi, president of Medavakkam panchayat, spoke.

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TN: Medicos boycott classes

Protesting against the police lathicharge on agitating medical students in the city on Monday, medicos across the state have resorted to a day-long boycott of classes.

Nearly 1500 students of the three government-run medical colleges in the city- Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and Kilpauk Medical College- besides their comrades in other cities like Thanjavur, Salem and Madurai, boycotted classes and also staged demonstration in their premises, students of the college told PTI.

"We would not be going to classes today. We want action against the police officers involved in the episode," a student representative of Stanley Medical College, said.

He also said that they were considering taking up the matter with the Tamil Nadu government.

Meanwhile, Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors' Association for Social Equality (DASE), who had urged the students to protest against the lathicharge, told PTI that government doctors in cities and towns other than Chennai had also joined in the protest by wearing black badges while on duty.

About 200 students, who had come to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) to attend counselling for PG admissions Monday, protested against its decision to reserve 50 per cent of the seats to in-service candidates and squatted on the road disrupting traffic, following which police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.

Medicos boycott classes

Monday's lathicharge on a group of doctors who were on an agitation seems to be a bitter pill for the medicos across the State.

Showing solidarity and many other emotions, Medicos across the State today boycotted the classes and staged demonstrations.
.

The fall out of the agitation was that many patients at government hospitals suffered.

Over 1500 students of the three government-run medical colleges in the city- Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and Kilpauk

Medical College staged demonstration in front of Government General hospital raising slogans against the government.

Besides demanding action against the ‘erring’ policemen they also sought immediate apology from the Health Secretary and the Director of Medical Education.

‘We would not be going to classes today. We want action against the police officers involved in the episode. If not the protest would get intensified further ‘, a student representative of Stanley Medical College, said.

He also said that they were considering taking up the matter with the Tamilnadu government.

Similarly in other cities like Thanjavur, Salem and Madurai, medicos boycotted classes and staged demonstration in their premises.

Meanwhile, Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DASE), who had urged the students to protest against the lathicharge, said that government doctors in cities and towns other than Chennai had also joined in the protest by wearing black badges while on duty.

It may be recalled that about 200 students, who had come to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) to attend counselling for PG admissions yesterday, protested against its decision to reserve 50 per cent of the seats to in-service candidates and squatted on the road disrupting traffic, following which police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.

Many students, including women, sustained injuries. A group of students later allegedly damaged the glass panes and some furniture inside the DME, following which police filed a case.

Meanwhile, the government has given its nod for including private doctors in the counselling for PG admissions.

This was disclosed by the Public Prosecuter G Sankaran when he appeared before Justice Venkatraman in Madras High Court with regard to the case.

He stated that the decision was taken by the Committee of Medical Education and Examination in order to avoid law and order problems.

Venkatraman informed that the order has been notified by the Court and everyone should abide by the Court’s final decision.

Following this decision, the counselling process was streamlined and went off peacefully, police said.

Doctors take to streets, cops pull no punches

Police caned around 200 doctors who effected a road blockade in front of the Directorate of Medical Education here around 3.50 pm on Monday.

A large number of doctors participating in the blockade were women and they did not escape police action. Retaliating, the doctors later charged into the Medical Directorate and broke chairs and glass doors. However, no one was reported hurt in the mêlée.

The doctors who had completed their MBBS in the non-service category had assembled to participate in the last leg of counselling conducted by the DME for post-graduate courses in government colleges in the state. Non-service candidates are those who have not opted for continuing working with the state government in state-run hospitals.

However, the students realised that only 21 non-service students, who went to court and got a favourable ruling on Monday, were allowed to participate in the 16 courses on offer on Friday in the quota reserved for service candidates.

The left out students contended that those, among them, who went to court had fought on behalf of all non-service students and hence they too should be allowed to attend counselling.

However, after Dr Mohanasundaram, additional director of medical education (in-charge), refused to entertain the demand citing court orders, the students enforced the blockade.

Before police arrived, the blockade had created a traffic snarl on Poonamalee High Road.When police realised that the agitators were unwilling to lift the blockade they began the caning.

However, the protesters stood their ground and demanded to see the court order. When Dr Mohanasundaram produced the government pleader’s opinion on the verdict, the agitating doctors questioned it, asking if only the rich could afford justice. The police then threatened to arrest them and a clash erupted.

The enraged doctors charged into the Directorate. Around 6 pm, Dr Mohanasundaram announced that all non-service students would be allowed to participate in the counselling.

Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DASE) has demanded action against the guilty policemen and also called for a one-day medical students’ strike in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

GENESIS OF THE PROBLEM

THE tussle between the non-service doctors and the Directorate of Medical Education is a long standing one but the latest problem is over rule 52 (b) in the prospectus of post graduate applications, which does not allow the non-service students any quota in eight disciplines each in nonclinical and clinical subjects.

In all the other disciplines otherwise mentioned the quota stands - 50 per cent for all India quota that any student can apply, including the non-service students of Tamil Nadu; 25 per cent for service candidates and 25 per cent for non-service candidates from Tamil Nadu.

But in the select 18 disciplines, the Government had issued a GO stating that 50 per cent quota should be alloted completely to service candidates only and that the non-service students could apply in the all India quota only in those subjects alone. This was mentioned in the prospectus.

The non-service doctors, realising that they would not get any share of the reservation pie went to the Madras High Court. Unfortunately only 21 students went to court.

The court declared an interim stay on the counselling proceedings and said that the 21 students should be included in the 50 per cent quota meant for the service students.

“This sudden demand for courses, including MD radio diagnosis and MD radio therapy, was because these courses are very expensive in the many private colleges, but have immediate remuneration of at least Rs 60,000 to over a lakh per month in private hospitals,” explained the DME additional director.

The situation took a dramatic turn as the MCI clearly states that the admission for post graduation should not be delayed and that the last date for admission being May 31. Since there was a delay in the all India counselling, the SC had granted extension till June 10.

This website's News Paper lensman faces cop’s ire

This website's News Paper photographer was almost attacked and his equipment broken, when he attempted to take photographs of the lathi charge ordered by the police against doctors, here on Monday.

A woman inspector, wielding a lathi, seized the camera equipment and threatened to break it while This website's News Paper lensman J Manoharan was attempting to capture images of the lathi charge. This happend despite the he showed his identity card.

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Aims and Career Goals 21
General Knowledge Questions 21
Books to read 25
Reference Books 25
Questions from Medical Science 26
FAQ - Frequently asked Questions about the interview 29
Windsor Knot 35
Department of Health, Government of TamilNadu 42
Directorate of Medical Education 43
Medical Colleges 45
Madras Medical College 45
Stanley Medical College (SMC) 46
Kilpauk Medical College 51
Chengalpattu Medical College 51
Thanjavur Medical College 51
Madurai Medical College 52
Coimbatore Medical College 52
Tirunelveli Medical College 52
Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College (Salem) 53
KAP Viswanatham Medical College (Trichy) 53
Thoothukudi Medical College 53
Kanniyakumari Medical College 53
The King Institute of Preventive Medicine 53
Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services 55
Department Functioning: 57
Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine 57
Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy 58
Directorate of Family Welfare 59
Indicators and Goals: 59
State Commission on Population: 60
Drug Control Administration 60
1. The Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940: 61
2. The Drugs Price Control Order 1995: 61
3. Drugs And Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954: 62
4. Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances Act 1985: 62
Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Limited 62
Organization: 63
Activities: 63
Tamil Nadu State Health Transport Department 64
Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society 64
Tamil Nadu State Blindness Control Society 67
Reproductive and Child Health Project 69
RCH priorities: 70
Achievements of RCHP in Tamil Nadu 70
Lessons from RCH Project Phase-I 71
REPRODUCTIVE AND CHILD HEALTH PROJECT PHASE-II 71
PROJECT COMPONENTS 72
Maternal Health 72
Infant and Child Health 73
Adolescent Health 73
Mainstreaming India Systems of Medicine (ISM) 74
Family Welfare and Population Stabilization 74
Urban Health 75
Behavior Change Communication (BCC) 75
Health Management Information System 75
BEYOND RCH PROJECT PHASE-II 76
Danida Assisted Tamil Nadu Area Health Care Project-Phase III 76
1.Introduction 76
2.Organisation and Management: 77
3.Achievements and Progress during Phase III: 77
3.1. Construction activities: 77
3.2 Improving Awareness (IEC): 78
3.3 Improved Technical Knowledge & Skills of Service Providers (Training): 79
3.4 Health Services Mangement: 79
3.5 Improvement of Medical Supplies: 81
Proposed Activities for 2001 and 2002: 81
Programmes under DANIDA 82
1. Danida supported National Leprosy Eradication Programme (DANLEP) 82
2. Danida supported Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) 83
3. Danida supported National Blindness Control Program (DANPCB) 83

India 80
President of India 80
Vice President of India 80
Prime Minister of India 80
Council of Ministers 80
Governors and Chief Ministers 84
Lt. Governors & Administrators 87
About Tamil Nadu 88
History 89
1st to 9th centuries 89
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14th century 91
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Politics 93
Population 95
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Businees Process Outsourcing Services 102
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Magsaysay Award winner from Tamilnadu 104
Districts 104
History of Tamil Nadu Districts 105
Who's Who About Tamil Nadu 108
Council of Ministers as on 01-01-2006 108
Secretaries to Government of Tamil Nadu as on 01-01-2006 111

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