The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

‘Less blood for developing countries’
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, April 7 — Speaking on the theme Safe Blood Starts With Me on a World Health Day function at General Hospital in Sector 6 here today, Dr O.N. Nagi, Head of the Orthopaedic Department of the PGI, said the National Health Association needed to formulate a national blood policy and cost-effective plans along with a sustainable blood management programme.

He said the objectives for the year were to raise awareness on the blood-safety issue, encourage member states to support national blood management programmes and retain and promote voluntary donation. Dr Nagi added that the World Health Organisation wished to promote the availability of safe blood and its components, proper transfusion facilities, injection safety, awareness on diseases transmitted through blood among other issues.

Quoting statistics, Dr Nagi said according to the WHO statistics, 60 per cent of the donated blood was available to 17 per cent of the population in developed countries, while 40 per cent was left over for 83 per cent of patients in developing countries.

Also, in these countries, 60 per cent of the blood is received from paid or replacement donors, while in underdeveloped countries, 43 per cent of the blood in hospitals is not tested for infections. Besides, 5 per cent of HIV cases are caused by blood transfusion or its products.

On the occasion, Dr H.C. Nagpal, said the previous year's World Health Day themes focussed on nutritious diet, exercise, mental tension, drugs, use of alcohol, reproductive child health, oral and personal hygiene, environment, life expectancy among others. He said the aim of his department was to create an awareness on personal health. He said diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, blindness and malaria were a result of the inability of health workers to reach out to the masses. He said migrant labour was also partially responsible for it.

Earlier, Dr Kamla Singh, SMO, welcomed the guests and Dr Vijay Garg introduced the chief guest. Dr Shobhit Ghai coordinated the programme. Quiz and essay writing contests were also held.

In all, 61 students of different schools participated in poster-making and on-the-spot painting competitions organised by Survival of Young and Adolescents Foundation at the Sector 7 Moti Ram Arya Modern Public School. The competitions were organised for observing the World Health Day.

According to a press note, the topics for the contest included Voluntary Blood Donation, Blood Brings Life, How Can It Take Life and Precautions During Blood Transfusion.

In the poster competition, the first prize was won by Rajendar Paswan of MRA Modern Public School, while the second prize went to Suchi Gupta of DC Model School. The third prize went to Jitender Kajal of MRA School.

In the essay writing competition, Sonali Ghai of DC Model School was adjudged the first, while the second prize was won by Mr Yashpal Arora of Moti Ram Arya School, the third prize went to Rishab of MRA School.

Youth motivated to donate blood
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — World Health Day was celebrated in the city with the organisation of blood donation camps, a youth motivation workshop and a paper-reading competition.

The Blood Bank Society and the Aids Control Society held a “youth motivation programme” at Food Craft Institute.

Experts from the Blood Bank delivered lectures and made audio-visual presentations for motivating the youth to donate blood.

Mr R.S. Verma, IAS, chief guest, emphasised on the importance of healthy living and the pleasure of giving. Dr Joginder Singh, Director, Health Services, Chandigarh Administration, informed that all three blood banks in Chandigarh were licensed.

Dr B.N.S. Walia, President, Blood, Bank Society, Chandigarh, convinced the audience that donating blood was absolutely safe.

Mr Setia and Mr M.L. Sareen and Mrs M.L. Sareen were honoured for donating blood 100 times. The annual magazine,” “Cater Craft”, of the Food Craft Institute, was also released.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Punjab, organised the 43rd blood donors’ camp in the city. As many as 150 persons donated blood.

Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Agriculture Minister, distributed mementoes to the donors.

As part of the “School AIDS Education Programme”, the State AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh along with the Voluntary Health Association of Punjab, an NGO, held a workshop at St Stephen’s School, Sector45. Paper-reading competitions on “safe blood” were organised at St Anne’s Convent School, Shivalik School, and Sri Guru Harkrishan Model School. Nearly 50 students participated in these competitions.

Aspects of safe blood like the infections that can be transmitted through blood transfusion, methods of screening them and the National Blood Policy were discussed at a symposium organised by the department of Community Medicine, PGIMER, to disseminate the World Health Day theme today.

PGI employees flay Administration
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — The PGI Employees Union has criticised the Administration for not implementing the decisions taken by the apex bodies of the institute in a meeting held on March 15 regarding the non-faculty employees.

In a press note issued here yesterday, the Union President, Mr Ashwani Munjal, said the promotion orders of the faculty staff were issued on the next day of the meeting. However, that of the non-faculty staff, with regard to the assured career progressive scheme, transport allowance, release of arrears of overtime allowance of Class IV and shift-duty staff, removal of anomaly orders of medical technologists have not been issued.

It has also been alleged that the PGI administration has not taken any action on the grant of patient-care allowance to the Group B employees, besides on the implementation of the Part B of the fifth Central Pay Commission so far. The AIIMS, New Delhi, has already issued orders in this regard.

The Bakshi Committee and High Power Committee constituted by the Institute Body for the non-faculty staff had also failed to meet even once in the past year, it was said.

SPORT

Aparna, victim of ignorance
By Arvind Katyal

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — Aparna Popat, the 22-year-old national badminton champion and ranked 28 in the world, became a victim of ignorance when she was debarred from playing any international tournament till June 13 because she had consumed the salt phenylpropanolamine.

The medicine she took in February during the Uber Cup tournament in Delhi to recover from flu was D'Cold Total which put her career in jeopardy. The International Badminton Federation anti-doping statutes prohibit about 200 such items. Surprisingly Indian players, including Aparna, were not aware of that.

T.P.S. Puri, a former national badminton coach and and an expert in IBF affairs, told this reporter today that she might have taken a short cut to the natural way of healing by consuming the medicine which had the banned phenylpropanolamine HCI in it.

Each player, before any international match, has to fill a prescribed form, mentioning the details of his or her personal and medical history in it. Aparna might have filled the form, showing the treatment, without knowing its consequences, said Puri. He also said players should tell their coaches and managers if they were taking any medicine during the tournaments because it could prevent them from being debarred.

Surprisingly, the tablet D'Cold, manufactured by Green Pharmaceuticals in Ahmedabad and marketed by Paras Pharmaceuticals at Kalol (Gujarat) is commonly available at all chemist shops, including in Chandigarh, without any prescription from the physician. Its ingredients are Paracetamol 500 mg, phenylpropanolamine 25 mg and caffeine anhydrous 32 mg. The tablet intends to provide relief from nasal congestion, headache, bodyache and sore-throat pain and has "non-drowsy formula" inscribed on it. Normally, an adult's dose is recommended to be taken at least thrice a day.

Dr S.C. Pandhi, a leading ENT specialist in the city, said he considered it a decongestant. Though he has never prescribed D'Cold, he does recommend phenylpropanolamine which is found in some other tablets and syrups as well.

In the medical dictionary, MIMS, there are other tablets and syrups like Febrex Plus by INDOCO having phenylpropanolamine and Paracetamol in the same amount as in D'Cold. A number of expectorants and tablets like Alex, Contac, Cosome, Eskold, Tixylix, Triaminic, Tuspess and Zeet all have phenylpropanolamine in it, though the proportion of ingredients varies in each.

Dr Y.N. Mehra, another leading ENT specialist, this banned salt could be considered a slight stimulant, but, it depended on its dosage, which could cause undesirable effects on the body.

Mr D.K. Mukerjee, Chairman of the Chandigarh Badminton Association, said he was sad over the three-month ban slapped on this rising Indian badminton star. He said it was a case of ignorance on part of Popat who explained everything to the authorities. Otherwise, if she knew about the status of the drug, things would have been different. He said, however, she should not have been given such a harsh punishment by the IBF.

One of the badminton coaches in the city, Surinder Mahajan, said though Prakash Padukone, who is the Executive Director of the Badminton Association of India, had taken the major share of the blame for not properly guiding players about the banned item, players should be aware of the ill-effects of using such drugs.

He, however, complimented the Popat and said she had become a force to reckon with. She should continue to practice with same determination and not let the ban demoralise her.''

In the light the incident, the other players should also be told about the harmful effects of using drugs banned by various international sport bodies, including the International Olympic Committee.

League cricket from April 9
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, April 7 — Bombay Cricket Club will take on Shine Star Club XI in the opening tie of the fourth UT League Cricket Tournament which is to begin from April 9 at Gursagar Grounds here. In the second match, DYFI will play against Happy XI. In all, 81 matches are to be played in this annual tournament to be organised by the UT Cricket Association.

The matches will be played in the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, Punjab Engineering College, the PGI and Gursagar Grounds. According to a press note issued by the association here today, the 46 participating teams have been divided into 12 pools and the winner of each pool will qualify for the super league. The final of the tournament will be played on June 25 in the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium.

The teams are as follows: Bedi XI, Hillions XI, Stadium Junior, Fauji XI, AG (Punjab), Eleven Star, Khalsa-40, Evergreen XI, ICC XI, Eagle XI, JAL XI, Pioneer, LIC XI, Happy XI, DYFI XI, Prudential, Pace, BBMB, Inde Dutch, CNS XI, Khalsa-15 XI, Lucky, PGI XI, Baba XI, Punjab Employees, KL Foundation XI, Godrej XI, Falcon XI, Panther XI, Kalsi XI, Chetna XI, Insurance XI, Bombay XI, Shinestar XI, Mohali Gymkhana XI, 3 BRD, ASCC, Defence XI, PDCA, MSWS, Link, Sports Club Panchkula, High Court XI, ISTC, City XI, Mcdowell XI.

Bridge tourney: The Chandigarh Bridge Association will hold a team of four bridge tournament on April 9 at 10 am at the Sector 42 Sports Complex, according to Mr Surjit Kapoor, Vice-President of the association. The entries will be received upto 9.30 am.