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Chronically ill UT staff to get full expenses
Chandigarh, October 27 Nine diseases have been added to the list of " complicated and chronic" ailments. The validity of certificates to declare a person as a sufferer of a "complicated chronic disease" has been increased from the present period of one year to three years. Besides 20,000 employees of the
Administration, this benefit will also go to employees of the board's and corporations of
Chandigarh, and Panjab University .The order will also apply to pensioners, who retired on, or after, April, 1, 1991. The nine diseases added to the list are: Intractable Resistant Epilepsy; Chronic Glaucoma; Ulcerative Colitis; Brain Stroke; Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome; Hypertension; Hypothyroidism; Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency and Diabetes Mellitus Type II. Also the Administration has lifted the condition, which it had laid down in September 2000. Under this rule no re-imbursement was allowed if expenditure on the chronic disease was less than Rs 6,000 per annum. Now this clause stands removed and expenses on all out door treatment of chronic diseases shall be re-imbursed in totality to employees and pensioners. However, the expenditure incurred on items that are not part of the re-imbursement list shall continue to be excluded as per existing rules and instructions. All the three decisions: To add new diseases; full re-imbursement of expenses and extension of validity of certificate, shall apply from the date the order has been issued in Chandigarh. Letters to this affect have reached all heads of departments of the Administration two weeks ago. And the date mentioned on the order is September 22.. The re-imbursement was allowed in Punjab in July. The Administration follows Punjab in such matters.
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HC questions release of impounded vehicle
Chandigarh, October 27 During resumed hearing in the ongoing case regarding misuse of red light and black film by vehicle owners, the court asked Amritpal, who had been summoned in the court, who his father was. Punjab Assistant Advocate-General Brajeshwar Chahal informed the court that Amritpal had claimed that he was the son of a college teacher. However, the accused admitted that he had misled in that regard. A non-bailable warrant had been issued against Amritpal for having been challaned twice in a period of less of one month for driving a vehicle bearing red beacon and tinted windows without permission. The Bench came down heavily on the Chandigarh Police for adopting half-hearted measures in this regard. It also issued a non-bailable warrant against Kanwaljit Singh Walia, owner of Commando Caterers, who had been summoned to the court for having violated rules. He was, however, not present in the court today. The Bench also suggested to the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and the Chandigarh Administration to carry out special drives to check over-speeding and wrong overtaking by vehicles on the national highways. It also asked the UT Administration's counsel to inform the court as to who is the competent authority in the insurance sector to frame rules dealing with compensation to those injured or next of kin of those killed in road accidents because they were not wearing crash helmets while driving. The next date of hearing in the matter is November
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Unruly scenes on day 3 of youth fest
Chandigarh, October 27 It being a day out for hostellers of girls' colleges added to the presence of girls at the venue of the festival. As a gesture to the students, the entry to the festival was opened for all students of participating colleges. Members of the Students Council of the host college objected to the passing of obscene remarks by boys from other colleges. Owing to a poor sound system and hooting from the audience, members of the participating teams could not make their voice heard. Some of the participating teams in the drama competition lodged their protest with the organisers. "Even judges could not hear dialogues of performers as it requires pin-drop silence", said the leader of a team. The team of the Government College for Girls after presenting a drama "Chirian" complained to the organisers about the poor sound system. Members of the team from Government College, Sector 42, complained that due to amateur handling of the stage, their expression and speech did not generate the desired impact. When students of the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, began their performance students among the audience began hooting. The organisers had to provide a separate entry to girls to reach the balcony in the main auditorium. Some teams complained about poor judgment in debate and elocution. The organising secretary, Prof Umesh Vinayak, said unruly students were creating a problem for them. "Tomorrow, for the bhangra and giddha competition, a strong police contingent will be deployed to restrict the entry of visitors. The moment the main auditorium is full we will close the entry". Yesterday, students of the GCM, Sector 11, had walked out of the quiz contest protesting against the "low standards" of questions being posed by the judge. Prof K.P.S. Shante, in charge of the contingent, in a representation to the Vice-Chancellor, had lodged their protest against the wrong selection of judge. Teams of various colleges gave a written complaint against excess time allowed to the MCM DAV team during the play ' Saavi'. Meanwhile, while some students preferred to the watch the drama competition, others could he heard passing remarks girls near the canteen area. As the day progressed, after the skit and mime, the drama competition was keenly contested. Most of the girls' colleges preferred to chose women issues. Some of the colleges chose Indo-Pak relations as the theme of their drama. The play "Chirian", based on Atamjeet's creation highlighted the atrocities on girls during partition. The team of GGDSD College, Sector 42, through a play "Ek Maa do Desh' depicted the story of a woman, Rasia, who lost her children during Partition and remarries in India. The play shows how the woman reacts and decides to live in India even after knowing that her children from her earlier marriage are alive. A play based on the life Lord Krishna in the Mahabharta went down well with the audience. As the day inched towards sunset , the unruly crowd vanished and the audience enjoyed the performance. With nine teams participating, the drama competition continued till late in the evening. The results of the contests held today are: Debate: Harleen Kaur ( GGDSD College, Sector 32) 1, Mridula ( MCM DAV College, Sector 36) 2 and Amarpreet Singh Mann ( DAV College, Sector 10) 3 Elocution: Varinder Sharma ( Government College for Girls, Sector 11) 1, Awadesh Kumar Jha ( GGDSD College, Sector 32) 2 and Heman Kaushal ( DAV College, Sector 10)
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USA holds valuable lesson for Indian blood banks
Chandigarh, October 27 There are about 2000 blood banks in India but only a few adhere to strict quality control and quality assurance required for this life saving fluid, observes Dr J.G. Jolly, Professor Emeritis, Transfusion Medicine, PGI, in an interview with TNS here today on his return from a three-month-long trip to the US where he had a chance to study the latest blood storage facilities in the US and also go round the world's blood bank established in Chicago. He says that his visit to the world’s first blood bank gave him an insight into the problems of preserving blood in early days and the strict quality control which was a prerequisite for a successful blood transfusion service. India requires about 8 million units of blood every year but the availability is of just about 4 million units. Therefore, there is a perpetual shortage of blood. This, in turn, prevents blood banks from exercising strict control secure in the belief that they can supply whatever they have. On the other hand, the world’s blood bank has come a long way in developing the preservation of blood and blood components by putting in place a strict programme of quality control and quality assurance. Called Cook County Hospital Blood Bank, it was established by Dr Bernard Fantus who was born in Austria but brought up and educated in the U.S. In 1935, Dr Bernard Fantus organised the Cook County Hospital Blood Preservation Laboratory at Chicago in order to investigate the possibility of preserving the blood of living donors. For two years, he researched various methods, and by 1936, he made two significant observations. The first was that 70 ml of 2.5 per cent solution of sodium citrate in normal saline was the optimum anticoagulant for 500 cc of blood. The second was that 4 C is the best temperature for preservation. By early 1937, his research culminated in the preservation of blood for as long as 10 days. As a result of his findings, Fantus advocated that his lab be opened to the public. But before the Blood Preservation Laboratory officially opened its doors on March 15, Fantus changed its name to the Blood Bank. He believed that the metaphor better conveyed the service's overall policy of saving blood. He wrote: “Just as one cannot draw money from a bank unless one has deposited some, so the blood preservation department cannot supply blood unless as much comes in as goes out”. In the early days, says Dr Jolly, the blood was sometimes obtained from patients who required therapeutic venesection, but most of it came from volunteer donors. Eventually, the hospital also used a paid donor system with the cost of transfusion passed along to the patient. The initial investment was paid for by the hospital and a generous contribution from a Chicago businessman. Previously, when blood transfusion was required, donors had to be called for. The response, in the words of a staff member of the hospital, sometimes would be a horde of excited, noisy, gesticulating foreigners. A little blood had to be drawn from half a dozen or even more of these ‘volunteers’ to find one of the blood types to match that of the patient. Should this blood unfortunately give a positive Wassermann reaction indicating VD infection, which occurred in 10 per cent of the cases, the whole process had to be repeated.
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2-month-old gets lease of life
Chandigarh, October 27 “When I first brought my son here in the PGI in August, the doctors told me about the exorbitant cost of the pacemaker that needed to be fitted in my son’s heart. I had no resources and left it on the doctors to find a way out,’’ said Shamima, wife of a rickshaw-puller, Naseem, who hails from Saharanpur. Mursleen had difficulty in breathing since birth and the doctors at the PGI diagnosed that there was conduction blockage in upper to lower heart chamber, which could lead to possessive heart failure at a later stage. “The newborns should have a heartbeat between 120 to 140 per minutes, but this child’s heartbeat was only 45 to 50. The child weighed 3.2 kg at birth.
He had respiratory problems also. We could treat the child only by fitting a pacemaker,’’ said, Dr Manoj, of the Department of Cardiology, while addressing mediapersons here today. The PGI then approached the Chandigarh Rotary Pacemaker Bank for arranging a pacemaker. It was imported from the Heart International, USA, within a week’s time. The surgery was performed by, Dr T. Shyam K. Singh, of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery on October 24. According to doctors, cases of blockage in heart chambers in newborns, which require pacemaker, are not common. Moreover, surgical procedure of fitting pacemaker in kids is a challenging job, says, Dr Manoj. “One pacemaker costs, around Rs 1.4 lakh and not many patients can afford it,’’ he adds. This pacemaker lasts for 8 to 10 years, after which it needs to be replaced by another. “The success rate of these surgeries is 100 per cent,’’ he says. The Chandigarh Rotary Pacemaker Bank, which is managed by the Rotary Club of Chandigarh, has supplied 45 pacemakers to the needy since its inception in 1990. In this year alone, eight pacemakers were arranged and provided to the PGI for the needy patients.
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UT Finance Secretary gets 10 more days
Chandigarh, October 27 The Chandigarh Administration has requested the Punjab Government to allow him to continue till November 5 when the crucial presentation is scheduled. The request has been based on the logic that the new Finance Secretary, Mr S.K. Sandhu, will not be able to understand the complexity of seeking budgetary allocation as little time was left for the presentation. Sources said Mr Sandhu, was likely to accompany Mr Karan Avtar Singh for the presentation. The new Finance Secretary is now expected to join on November 6 or 8.
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Adversities turned him into a true yogi
Adversities heaped upon him by the 1999 cyclone in coastal Orissa by destroying his house made him a true yogi mentally and spiritually to confront unbelievable miseries in Panjab University. He now himself supports 12 tribal students in Mayurbhaj district of Orissa by the earnings he makes from yoga training to actors and others. Known as Swami Dhirendra Acharya, he has helped at least 25 kidney patients by collecting money for them and devoting time for nursing them. He had one regular meal once in three days for months, stayed in an empty water tank during the monsoon and winters and shared food with monkeys in the PU campus. During this period, he had befriended a lot of monkeys in the university who could have been seen in his room in a group combing their hair and sharing food with him. He has taken to yoga after having acquired a black belt in karate. He says the yoga could transform the youth by unleashing their positive force through a mental, bodily and spiritual harmony restored through yogic exercises. His thesis also deals with the well-being of tribals — impact of yogasan, asan, pranayam and meditation upon stress and wellness of tribal adolescents of Orissa.” Swami has given tips of yoga to actors in the Department of Indian Theatre in Panjab University and Dara Studio to sharpen their acting skills apart from keeping them mentally focused and physically fit. Yoga, like acting, has heavily borrowed from postures of animals. Talking to The Tribune, Swami said he believed that Yoga could unleash the positive energy of the youth to draw them in building a better society. Swami said probably it was practice of yoga that stopped him from becoming a criminal in utter distress. He said he had once thought of looting a bank but yoga unleashed his positive force. Swami is now developing a 15-minute-long capsule of kriyas, asanas and pranayam to help people contribute better in national productivity. The companies could also follow these productivity-related capsules to improve their manpower. The money earned through camps helps him pursue his studies and that of 12 tribal students in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa. He recalls the days when he had to snatch food from monkeys climbing a tree and spending days in the water tank. He said it was a test of his mental frame built up by yoga. Swami stealthily spent at least 15 days in a locked room of a PU hostel. He used to enter the room through a broken window and used to climb a pipe to enter the room but soon the university authorities came to know about his stay in the locked room.
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Alert neighbours thwart burglary bid
Mohali, October 27 The incident took place in one of the houses on the main road in Phase IX here this afternoon. The house owners and tenants were away when a gang of at least five persons entered the tenants’ house on the first floor and broke open the kitchen lock. They were trying to open the bedroom’s door when some neighbours spotted them and raised the alarm. They managed to catch one of the fleeing culprits. After giving him a thorough beating, the police was informed and the thief handed over to it. According to the police the house in owned by Mr
H.G.S. Marwaha. He lives on the ground floor with his wife, while their tenants, a young couple, lived on the top with their daughter. The tenants, Mr Rajesh
Moza, Deputy Registrar at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
(NIPER), and his wife, Rozy, were away when the incident took place. ‘‘I had come back home and was leaving again with a colleague of mine and my daughter to meet my husband at
NIPER. I informed my landlord, who, along with his wife, was leaving for the gurdwara. I guess someone must have heard us. because the thieves apparently entered the house the minute all of us
left,’’ said Rozy who worked at Doon International School. “I had barely taken a rickshaw from the market when I saw a crowd gathered outside my house, beating a man. I rushed to find that the man had been caught red-handed trying to commit theft in my house. It was shocking” she said. ‘‘When entered the house, I found that the thieves had broken into the kitchen and gathered all valuables from there and were trying to gain entry into the bedroom. They had broken the wire mesh door and had dented the inner door when they were
caught,’’ she added. The police has registered a case. ‘‘We have arrested Ganesh Kumar under Sections 454 and 380 of the IPC,’’
said Mr Tirlochan Singh, SHO, Phase VIII Mohali.
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9 sites marked for cracker sale
Mohali, October 27 According to orders issued by the District Magistrate, Ropar, Ms Seema Jain, under Section 144 of the CrPc, no person shall store, exhibit or sell any fire crackers or explosive materials used in the festival except at the sites earmarked for the purpose. The sites had been recommended by the sub-divisional magistrate. The sites earmarked for the sale of crackers are Phase I Dasehra ground, near Bassi Cinema in Phase II, opposite Hot Millions in Phase III B-2, opposite Bougainvillea Garden in Phase V, opposite Municipal Council office in Phase VII, near Yadavindra Public School, Phase VIII, opposite Food Junction in Phase X, opposite the new market in Sector 70 and near Saint Xaviers School in Sector 71. The order said the SDM would ensure that there was no retail sale of crackers outside these areas. He would also ensure that no vehicle was parked anywhere near the sale point and that places according to requirement were given for the purpose on a rental basis as determined by him or the civic body. The use of firecrackers or fireworks has not been permitted between 10 pm and 6 am. The orders shall remain in force till November 30.
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Artificial leg that can be programmed
Chandigarh, October 27 Dr G.B. Singh, head of the centre, while talking to The Tribune today said the knee in the leg can do almost all things that a natural leg can because of the microprocessor which could be specifically programmed according to the exact requirements of the amputee. “The uniqueness of the limb is that it is equipped with a sensor which understands the need of the walker and can make functional changes according to the terrain. it can change speed as you walk, it can make you walk on ramps or walk down the stairs with ease,’’ he said. The artificial leg is controlled by pneumatic and hydraulic powers responsible for its power and stability, “It also has shock absorbers,” he added. It costs Rs 4.25 lakh. “This artificial leg is highly sophisticated and its components are imported from the UK. With indigenous components, the cost can come down,’’ Dr G.B. Singh said.
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Six get Rotary awards
Chandigarh, October 27 The club honoured, Mr Prem Pal Singh Sood, Special Assistant in Treasury Branch of the State Bank of India for a rare gesture of honesty and integrity, for returning a bag containing Rs 54,000 cash to its rightful owners. Mr M.L. Kashyap, Train Superintendent of the Kalka-Delhi Shatabadi Express was honoured for displaying prompt action in arranging medical assistance on a running train for a passenger who had collapsed, and ensuring his admission to the PGI on arrival. The club awarded, Ms Anita Sharma, Subject Expert, Vocational Educational Unit of Education Department of Chandigarh Administration, who had popularised various vocational subjects in schools. Mr P.C. Sharma, Chief Security Officer, of PGI, was honoured for his exceptional leadership qualities and helpful attitude towards the patients and relatives. Fireman Kala Singh of Chandigarh Fire Department was recommended for the award for displaying bravery and humane attitude. Without caring for his life, he went down the 100 feet-long tunnel to inspect it during the Burail Jail break case. Mrs Davinder Kaur, nursing sister working with General Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh was also honoured for her sincerity and dedication.
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Woman falls off bus, dies
Chandigarh, October 27 The police said Jito Devi of Kherianwali Lehi village in Panchkula district boarded a Haryana Roadways (HR) bus at a bus stop. The HR bus stopped behind a CTU bus which was boarding passengers. The driver of the HR bus, Sompal, in order to overtake the CTU bus started off. Jito, who had not boarded the bus, fell off. Eyewitness said she failed to hold on to the handle bar of the bus. Her head hit the road, killing her on the spot. She was working as a Class IV employee in the UT Pollution Control Department. Her body kept lying on the road for a long time as the PCR vehicle came to the spot quite late.
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Ruskin Bond on author contest jury
Chandigarh, October 27 The contest was instituted last year to provide a platform for budding writers to showcase their talent and give them an opportunity to develop it through interaction with some of the country’s leading literary icons. The contest, will also be conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Pune and Lucknow from September-December 2004. The competition, open to students from class IX to XII, is expected to see the participation of more than 40,000 children. The winners will get awarded a seven-day trip to England for a literary tour covering London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Edinburgh.
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Journalists plan rally
Chandigarh, October 27 These include the IJU, the DUJ, the DSNEF, the AINEF, the Federation of the PTI Employees Unions and the UNI Employees Union. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh- Punjab Union of Journalists will hold a demonstration at Sector 17 plaza in the city on October 29 at 11.15 pm.
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AFWWA celebrations
Chandigarh, October 27 Ms Tilloo emphasised the need to continue the various projects for the welfare of its members. Members of the association and their children are participating in various programmes being organised at the station.
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People asked to follow ideals of Balmik
Chandigarh, October 27 In a message on the eve of the birth anniversary of Maharshi Balmik Jayanti the Governor said throughout his life Maharshi Balmik had stressed the principle of dignity of labour recognising that it was the only way to free the downtrodden.
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Car catches fire
Chandigarh, October 27 According to Harvinder Singh, driver of the car (CH-01-Y-0318) belonging to the Institute for Development and Communication, Sector 22, he stopped the car at the traffic lights at around 4 p.m. and switched off its engine. When he turned on the ignition key, its engine caught fire and soon the flames engulfed the front portion of the car. He immediately came out of the vehicle with the documents. He also got burn injuries on his forehead and arms. An eyewitness said the fire started from below the car and spread across the vehicle in no time. The bonnet and the dashboard of the car were damaged and the rear window got blackened due to excessive heat. The fire brigade reached the spot and extinguished it.
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2-day-old baby found
Chandigarh, October 27 According to the police, Mr Madan Singh, a resident of Sector 20, heard the
baby’s cries and found her wrapped in a cloth beside the mosque. He waited
there for a while. Nobody turned up. Madan Singh informed the police. The police
took the child and admitted her to the General Hospital, Sector 16. The doctors
found her fit.
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Car, scooter stolen
Chandigarh, October 27 In another incident, Vineet Kumar of Sector 40 reported to the police that his scooter (CHL-3428) was stolen from the PGI parking yesterday. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered in the Sector 11 police station. Thefts
The local police has registered three cases of thefts, one case of burglary and has arrested a person charged with stealing in the past 24 hours. Rajiv Kumar, watchman of the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, reported to the police that a water tank of the college was stolen by Ajmer Singh of Sector 46. The police arrested the suspect from near Engineering College road yesterday and recovered the stolen property from him. In another incident, Jaspal Singh, Section Officer, Subdivision No. 1, Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, reported to the police that 84 iron grills were stolen from the Government tubewell near the crematory grounds in Sector 25 between October 19 and 22. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered in the Sector 11 police station. Rajnish Khurana of Sector 29 filed a complaint that 14 mobile phones were stolen from his shop in Sector 34 after breaking the locks during the intervening night of October 25 and 26. N.S. Pandey of Sector 37 reported to the police that his bag containing a camera, a video camera, a radio and two diaries was stolen from a rickshaw from near Batra Cinema Sector 37 on October 24. A case of theft has been registered in the Sector 39 police station. Dowry complaint
Seema of Sector 38 filed a complaint against her husband Harish Bhardwaj and her in-laws, all residents of Delhi, that they thrashed and maltreated her for dowry. A case under Sections 406 and 498-A of the IPC has been registered against them in the Sector 39 police station. Harish and his father surrendered before the Child and Woman Support Unit.
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House burgled
Zirakpur, October 27 According to Mr Naresh Sharma, they left the house on Friday and found the locks of the house broken when they returned on Tuesday afternoon. The thieves had ransacked the cupboards, almirahs and bed boxes. Two police personnel visited the house this afternoon. A daily diary report was registered on the complaint of Mr Sharma.
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16-yr-old girl immolates self
Chandigarh, October 27 The police said she took this extreme step after her mother objected to her activities. Her mother Bala is a part-time domestic servant. She set herself ablaze when her mother left for work in the evening. Her elder brother, who was standing outside, heard her cries and ran inside to find her engulfed in flames. She was taken to General Hospital, Sector 16, where her condition is stated to be serious. A case of attempt to suicide under section 309 of the IPC has been registered against her at the Sector 39, police station.
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Mineral water firm raided, goods seized
Chandigarh, October 27 According to Mr J.S. Saini, BIS Director, the firm was found to be engaged in the manufacture, filling and packaging of mineral water with an ISI mark under the brand names of Mr Cool, Prism and Aquaflux. The company did not have any BIS certification licence and was found to be violating the BIS Act,1986, Mr Ajit Singh added.
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CII fair from October 30
Chandigarh, October 27 Timed to cater to buoyant consumer sentiments in the festive season, the
prestigious fair showcases the products of services of nearly 175 companies. The fair serves as an umbrella for seven concurrent expositions. These include Infocom — an exposition dedicated to IT and communications, Finmart — banking, finance and investments, North India Auto Show — Automobiles plus, Consumer Fair and Decor — accessories for stylish homes and offices. The participating companies includes major multinational players as well as small manufacturers of exclusive niche products. Live performance by the versatile rock band, Taan Trikz from Delhi, will provide a musical sidelight to the fair on October 30 and 31.
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MC team inspects Sec 22 market
Chandigarh, October 27 While the MWA is rallying for permission for setting up a podium in the market, the PTA has opposed it on the ground that the podium will hide their shops and affect their business. After hearing both parties at the MC office, two councillors, P.C. Sanghi and Vijay Rana, accompanied by officials of MC, carried out an inspection in the market. The president of the MWA, Mr Arvind Jain, submitted a map of the entire area and how they intend to display the prizes of the festival. The F&CC met today after the high court yesterday ordered the MC to decide the permission issue before or by October 29.
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Chandigarh, October 27