HEALTH

Oral health care goals listed
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Feb 28 — The President of the Indian Dental Association, Dr Hari Prakash, said the motto of Oral Health Care for All by the Year 2010 had been adopted at the open session of the association held in New Delhi, with the aim of improving oral hygiene of both urban and rural population. He was addressing a gathering of the members of the Haryana branch of the association.

He said it had been proved scientifically that poor oral hygiene led to coronary heart and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory infection and other related illnesses. Dental caries could cripple oral cavity, thereby being responsible for malnutrition, he added.

During the course of a discussion with the dentists, Dr Prakash listed the goals of the oral health care programme. The main idea was to bring down the incidence of oral and dental diseases to achieve 50 per cent reduction in edentulousness between the age of 35 to 44 years, to achieve 25 per cent reduction in edentulousness between the ages of 65 years and above, to reduce the present level of dento-facial deformities by 50 per cent and to bring down cases of oral cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, he elaborated.

He spoke on the preventive strategies and control of the three most common problems of dental caries, gum diseases, malocclusion of teeth and oral cancer. He also talked at length on the strategies for implementation, which included oral health education.

He said for this purpose, the local and state branches of the association should conduct comprehensive oral heath programmes, which were sustainable, practical and cost-effective. He added that the programme should be undertaken throughout the year, with emphasis on observing the Oral Health Care for All Week from October 1 to 7.

The Honorary Secretary of the Haryana branch of the association, Dr R.K. Takkar, spoke on the requirements of dentists. He said there was urgent need to provide insurance cover to dentists contracting potentially fatal diseases.

He also highlighted the problems of quackery in developing areas of the state and water fluoridation. He also gave information about other activities undertaken by the state branch of the association.

Meeting to discuss medical education
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — Measures to review and improve medical education in India will be discussed at the third meeting of a committee, constituted under the GOMCO Research Foundation, on March 3. The meeting will be held in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, here.

According to Dr R. Kumar, member secretary of the committee, the agenda for the meeting includes discussion on existing curricula at the under graduate level, to identify problems, deficiencies and defects in the present day medical education and to present a comparative analysis of the developments taking place in developed countries like the USA and UK.

Based on the observations of top experts and senior medical teachers of the region, recommendations will be made to the Government of India and the Medical Council of India to effect improvements in the standards and to enhance the practical utility of medical education.

The other members of the commitee include Dr I.C. Pathak, Dr B.K. Sharma, Dr K.S. Chugh, Dr V.K. Kak, Dr S.K. Jindal from Chandigarh, Dr Ravinder Singh, Dr D.N. Bhardwaj, Dr D.C. Bansal, Dr Ashi I. Sareen from Patiala.

SPORT

Want sponsors, be practical
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — Sport-event sponsorships seem to be absent despite the presence of willing sponsors like various multinationals.

Chandigarh has become a centre of commercial activity and a base for many big business houses. Industries in Dera Bassi, SAS Nagar, Parwanoo, Baddi, Barotiwala and Panchkula can be potential sport sponsors. Organisers usually lack a market-oriented approach and are not bold enough to reach out to potential sponsors.

In November last, the Chandigarh Table Tennis Association had organised the 61st Junior National Table Tennis Championship where the Stroh's brand of Mount Shivalik Breweries was the title sponsor. The liquor company got a positive image by sponsoring such sport event.

Similarly, the Indian Tobacco Company Limited (ITC), for years has sponsored golf, tennis, badminton and cricket to market the Wills brand. India has now become a much bigger market than before for the advertisers who are willing to spend money on sport sponsorships.

At the Junior Table Tennis National Meet in Chandigarh, the logo Spice was printed on the back of each player along with the registration number. More than 1,000 players took part in this tournament and sponsors went home happy.

Past year, the UT Education Department could not organise the National School Games in December 1999 because of a lack of funds. Had the department adopted a professional approach and tried to rope in sponsors for the event where more than 2,000 sportspersons from different parts of the country took part, sufficient funds could have been raised.

Fashion shows, despite having an attendance of a few hundred spectators, are marketed profitably. Sport-event organisers, it seems, are not imaginative enough to exploit the attention these events generate.

Though cricket is considered sponsors' favourite, Mr I.S. Bindra, a senior IAS officer of Punjab, had successfully organised and marketed the World Cup Table Tennis Championship in India more than a decade ago when he was the President of the Table Tennis Federation of India.

Recently, the Senior Judo National Championship was conducted here without any title sponsor. The Senior National Skating Championship held here in December last also had no big sponsor.

The sport-event organisers should exploit the willing corporates to their advantage. For this, they will also have to arrange of a good media coverage of the events. Organisers should work hard and adopt a practical approach to rope in sponsors to improve the condition of their fund-starved associations and sportspersons.

AG Haryana win team TT title
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — The Accountant General (Audit) Haryana, Chandigarh, won the team championship on the penultimate day of the North Zone (IA and AD) Table Tennis Championship at the Sector 23 Table Tennis Hall here today. In the final played today, AG (Haryana) beat AG (UP) Allahabad, 3-0.

The first singles of the tie was won by Amod Dixit of AG (Haryana) after beating Amit Srivastava. In second singles, the UT state champion Harish Kumar was extended to three games by S.P. Singh before Harish won. In the decider, Patanjali Kumar, too, had to stuggle against U.Srivasatava before winning in three games.

In the individual events, Patanjali Kumar of AG (Haryana) reached the semi-finals of the veterans' singles event and will take on S.K. Srivastava of AG (UP) in the final.

In the women's singles semi-final, Barkha K.C., a former Chandigarh player of repute now an employee of the AG (Delhi), beat Saroj Chaudhary, a former HP state badminton champion, in three games. Barkha will now face Moushmi Ghosh of AG (UP) in the final.

In the men's section, the players who have reached the last eight include Virendra Srivastava AG (UP), Joginder Bisht AG (Delhi), Portho Choudhary AG (HP), Saurabh Sharma AG (HP), S.P. Singh AG (UP) and Amit Srivastava AG (UP) among others.

Results: Team championship final — AG (Audit) Haryana b AG (UP), Allahabad, 3-0 (Amod Dixit b Amit Srivastava, 23-21, 21-12; Harish Kumar b S.P. Singh, 25-23, 15-21, 21-12; Patanjali Kumar b U. Srivasatava, 19-21, 21-17, 21-16).

Veterans' singles (semi-final) — Patanjali Kumar (AG Haryana) b Som Nath (AG-HP), 21-18, 18-21, 21-17; S.K. Srivasatava (AG UP) b Surinder Sharma (AG Punjab), 21-19, 21-19.

Women's singles semi-finals — Barkha K.C. (AG Delhi) b Saroj Chaudhary (AG Haryana), 21-15, 21-13, 21-12; Moushmi Ghosh (AG UP), w/o R. Joshi (AG HP).

Men's singles prequarterfinals — Virender Srivasatava (AG UP) b Jaswant Tangta, 21-17, 21-15; Joginder Bisht (AG Delhi) b Vinod Kaushik (AG Haryana), 21-18, 21-14; Portho Chowdhry (AG HP) b Lav Kumar (AG Punjab), 21-15, 21-17; Sourabh Sharma (AG HP) b B.D. Sawhney (Delhi 'B'), 21-12, 21-14; S.P. Singh (AG UP) b Amod Dixit (AG Haryana), 21-14, 11-21, 21-14; Amit Srivastava (AG UP) b Vikas Sharma (AG Delhi), 21-14, 21-16.

ADMINISTRATION

Decks cleared for fire station
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — Decks have been cleared for the construction of the eighth fire station in Chandigarh. To be constructed over about 1.5 acres in Mani Majra, near the Chandigarh-Kalka highway, the fire station will have three garages, an administrative block, a duty room and a store.

The ground floor of the two-storeyed building will be completed in the first phase, according to corporation sources. The drawings of the fire station have been cleared by the Architecture Department of the Chandigarh Administration. Tenders for the project will be invited shortly, following which the foundation stone will be laid.

Administration violated own rules during Festival of Gardens
By V.P. Prabhakar

For three days, there was a mela-like atmosphere in and around Rose Garden and Shanti Kunj in Chandigarh. People not only from the city but also from Panchkula, Mohali and adjoining villages had thronged the garden for the Festival of Gardens.

At the entrance of the Rose Garden, permanent boards are fixed on which 11 instructions are written for the information of visitors. These are:

1. Please throw litter in the bins provided at various places.

2. Please use concrete footpaths for walking and protect the grassy surfaces.

3. Plucking of flowers is strictly prohibited.

4. Drinking at Rose Garden premises is banned. The defaulters are liable to be prosecuted.

5. The entry of cycles and other vehicles is prohibited.

6. Use of loudspeakers, loud music, holding of public meetings, fairs, functions and shootings are not permitted.

7. Cooking, lighting of fire, use of stove, pitching of tents, canopies, etc are prohibited.

8. Hawkers are not allowed inside the Rose Garden complex.

9. Playing of outdoor games such as cricket, volleyball, wrestling is not allowed at the Rose Garden complex.

10. Dogs and other pet animals are not allowed in the garden.

11. Bathing and washing of clothes is prohibited.

The Chief Engineer, UT, has further said that “please help the Administration to keep the complex clean. Please set an example yourself by obeying the instructions so as to maintain healthy environment at the Rose Garden”.

During these three days litter was thrown by public everywhere in the garden. Even on February 28, an empty bottle of mineral water and litter were seen floating in the pond in the middle of the garden.

Even the Administration had dug up holes in order to put up shamianas in the grassy grounds for holding various events. In fact, the grounds were the worst casualty in the fair. Even in normal days, many walkers prefer to use grassy surfaces than concrete footpaths.

As regards entry of cycles and scooters, this clause is daily violated by the employees of the Administration as they cross the garden on their vehicles. During the festival, vehicles like tractor-trolley or trucks came in the garden for loading and unloading of tents etc. For this purpose, a hedge at one place was cut for their entry.

The sixth and seventh instructions were violated with impunity. While holding of fairs is prohibited, the festival is held every year and loudspeakers and loud music are also used. Big poles were used for putting up lights.

A big heap of cattle dung was covered from the public gaze by putting a cover around it.

When the Administration itself violated its own instructions, how a healthy environment could be maintained.

New power plant for city proposed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — Chandigarh has now proposed to establish a 120 MW gas-based captive power generation unit at Kishangarh. The Administrator of Chandigarh, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), had discussions on of the issue with the Union Power Minister, Mr P. Kumaramangalam, in New Delhi at the Power Ministers Conference.

The earlier decision of the Administration to set up a naptha-based power plant was found by the Administrator to be economically unviable. It also had environmental implications. The Power Minister said in any case, his ministry would not have accepted the proposal for a naptha-based power plant for Chandigarh, according to a press note of the Chandigarh Administration.

In order to make up for the power shortfall, the Union Power Minister has agreed to consider the setting up of the gas-based power plant at Chandigarh.

To be fuelled by a separate gas pipeline, the 120 MW combined-cycle plant would be pollution free and environment friendly, besides being cost effective.

The Administration would pursue the proposal with the Union Power Ministry. The Administration had already acquired land for the proposed power station at Kishengarh, the press note said.