I am writing this to put in proper perspective the case of non-establishment of a Physiotherapy centre in the Civil. Dispensary, Sector 35.
I understand that a point came up in the general house meeting of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh on 29th July about the delay in setting up of a fully equipped physiotherapy centre by CSCA. I was not present at the meeting but I have been contacted by several reporters who were and some of whom even insinuated that the Association has backed out of its commitment. The facts of the case are as under:
• CSCA is perhaps the largest NGO of its kind in the country, totally committed to the welfare of senior citizens. We certainly have the largest budget and the widest range of welfare activities.
• One of the services provided by us is equipping, maintaining and running of seven state-of-the-art Physiotherapy centres at which free treatment is given to senior citizens, disabled persons and BPL persons.
• We were running one extremely popular centre in Sector 35 which we had to close because the place was required by the owners for some other use. The patients requested that some other place should be found nearby and suggested the Civil Dispensary as this would meet their need for other medical disciplines, too.
• We accordingly, met the Home Secretary on …… 2011 and proposed a project under Public Private Initiative. He was most enthusiastic but since the Dispensary had been transferred to the Corporation, he forwarded the proposal, with most favourable comments, to the Commissioner Municipal Corporation.
• Everyone we spoke to was in favour of immediate implementation but the proposal, even though unanimously approved by the F&CC of the Corporation way back on …………, has not been formally approved because “it has to be approved by the General House” and somehow it has not been included in the agenda. Why? There is a lot of finger pointing and allegations of sabotage but I am not in a position to comment except to express my anguish that patients are being denied a facility on which not a penny of Corporation funds is required to be spent.
So far as NGOs are concerned, it causes a lot of anguish and dismay when genuine efforts to work for society are frustrated.
I am also enclosing a “brief” on the proposal.
Brig. Keshav Chandra
President
Mob: 9316130938