HEALTH

HIV, bacteriology discussed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — Two international experts in medical diagnostics and bacteriology and two experts from India discussed current trends and issues in HIV and bacteriology at a bioMerieux in Touch symposium at Hotel Mountview here this evening.

More than 100 medical experts from Punjab and Chandigarh, including Dr Shanta Nagarajan of Batra Hospital, participated in the symposium, where Mr Pascal Vincelot, Managing Director of bioMerieux India and Dr Patrice Nordmann, Chief of the Department of Microbiology in a Hospital at South Paris University, made presentations on bacteriology and disease prevention, and HIV infection and early detection.

A France-based company, bioMerieux specialises in infectious disease's diagnostics and industrial microbiology control. It ranks as the eighth largest biological diagnostics company in the world and a leader in microbiology. The company has been operating in India since December, 1998. The current product areas of the company include an automated blood culture instrument and the Vidas HIV Duo, a breakthrough in the early detection of HIV virus and early diagnosis of HIV.

According to Mr Pascal Vincelot, 16,000 people throughout the world are infected everyday by HIV. A study on the order in which the markets of the early stages of HIV infection appear has shown that p24 antigen can be detected on an average one week before anti-HIV bodies. This is also the first automated test for the detection of the HIV infection. Combined detection of p24 antigen, anti-HIV1 and anti-HIV2 had shown excellent results, he said.

Mini Vidas is reliable and easy to use for daily immunoassay testing, including hepatitis, AIDS, TORC, STDs, bacterial and viral antigens, thyroid hormones, allergy, tumour markers, endocrinology, anaemia, cardiovascular diseases, therapeutic drug monitoring, immuno-hemostasis, cardiac markers and industrial microbiology.

Fogging to drive away mosquitoes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — The Malaria wing of the UT Health Department has decided to undertake fogging operations in the city with effect from tomorrow to contain the growing mosquito population. It will intensify the drive by launching anti-larval measures in the choe area, near the Sectors 3 and 10 bridge in the Bougainvillea Garden Hut tomorrow.

According to Dr G.C. Bansal, Assistant Director Malaria, fogging will be done in the urban areas as well as the adjoining slums, villages and colonies. It will be undertaken in two rounds of 15 days each and the process will be completed in one month’s time.

The drive will start from Sectors 7 and 8 tomorrow evening. While it will be done from 5 am to 6 am in the mornings, it will be done from 6.30 pm to 7.45 pm in the evenings. People have been advised to keep their doors and windows open during these hours so that effect of the fog drives away the mosquitoes. Those who are allergic to the smoke or are asthmatic should try to stay away from the area during that time. Dr Bansal said that this is being done to further check the incidence of malaria in the city. Special focus will be on those areas from where cases of malaria were reported last year.

Meanwhile, the special anti-malarial drive will be formally launched by the Director, Health Services, UT, tomorow by flagging off teams to various parts of the city to combat malaria. They will put insecticides in the stagnant water to further check mosquito breeding, it is learnt.

SPORT

Principal, Director laud school
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — According to Ms R. Bhatnagar, Principal of Blue Bird School in Sector 16, Panchkula, the school was the first to have an international dimension skating rink. More than 50 children practise basketball in the morning session and a regular basketball coach, Ram Chander, trains them.

Mr K. Bhatnagar, one of the directors of the school, said the school's under-14 and under-10 skaters earned glory at state level. Some students took part in the National Skating Championship and were part of the team which won medals at National School Games at Moga in November. He said the centres would be thrown open to the general public. A regular bus for sportpersons in the evening would begin in July, he added.

Hockey trials: Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, will hold hockey trials for under-17 boys on May 11 and 12. Interested players should reach the school campus on May 11 at 12:30 pm with proof of date of birth and sport certificates. The selected players will be given free boarding, lodging and education. A coach from NIS, SAI, B.S. Randhawa, has been deputed the coach for the players.

ADMINISTRATION

Houselisting begins
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, May 4 — The work of house numbering and houselisting under the Census of India 2001, started in Kharar subdivision yesterday and would be completed on May 24. Mr Devinder Singh, SDM, Kharar, has been appointed Subdivisional Charge Officer under this programme.

Mr Azad Kumar Saini, Liaision Officer, Census Operations, said 393 blocks had been formed in the sbudivision and 386 enumerators, 67 supervisors, 3 master trainers and 4 Assistant Charge Officers had been deputed for this purpose. He said the Tehsildar, Kharar, was the Charge Officer for rural area and Executive Officers of Kharar and Kurali were Charge Officers for their municipal committees. He added that two rounds of training had been given to all concerned.

Panels formed to identify fire-prone markets
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — The Mayor, Ms Shanta Abhilashi, today constituted two committees to educate occupants of rehri and phari markets regarding fire prevention and anti-encroachment measures and for holding a survey of fire-prone markets. The committees will submit their reports to the Commissioner within three days.

The committee, headed by Sub-Fire Officer (SFO), Mr SK Gosain, and comprising Mr Jatinder Pal, Mr Jagtar Singh and Mr Jagdeep Singh, will educate the rehri and phari market occupants from Sectors 1 and 24.

Another committee, headed by Mr ML Sharma, SFO, will educate the rehri and phariwalas from Sector 26 onwards. The committee will have Mr DP Singh, Mr Lal Bahadur and Mr Surjit Singh.

Keeping in view the increasing incidents of fire, it has also been decided to depute a police team for each of the rehri and phari market for two months. These teams will keep a strict vigil in these markets during late hours and patrol the markets after every two hours, a press note said.

The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) has also decided to depute one wireless operator of the police round-the-clock at its fire station in Sector 17. He will keep the fire personnel informed about the fire incidents, which were common during summers. It will help in facilitating the communication system and preventing major fires.

Notices sent: The MCC on Thursday sent notices to 113 persons, found violating the water supply byelaws during the morning hours.

The violators were warned verbally and in writing to avoid wastage of water, failing which water connections to their places would be disconnected.

Encroachments removed: The enforcement wing on Thursday removed about 80 illegal shanties, concretes structures, iron gates, barricades, car sheds and barbed wires from Sector 40-D here.

5 inspectors shifted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — As many as five inspectors have been transferred. The orders were issued by the UT IGP, Mr S.K. Singh, here this evening.

Inspectors Ajaib Singh, B.S. Negi Bakshish Singh, have been shifted to the traffic wing. They were earlier posted in the VIP Security, MT Section and PCR, respectively. Similarly, Inspector Sandal Singh, posted in the traffic wing has been posted to the MT Section and Inspector Karam Singh has been posted to the VIP security.

Nine MC bodies reconstituted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — The Mayor, Ms Shanta Abhilashi, today reconstituted nine committees of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC).

The following are the members of the committees:

Water Supply and Sewerage Disposal Committee: Ms Ranjana Shahi, Maj-Gen Rajinder Nath (retd), Mr Rajinder Kumar, Mr Mohinder Singh, Mr Harish Bhanot, Mr RK Aggarwal and Ms Saudamini Bambah.

Road Committee: Mr Gian Chand Gupta, Mr Mohinder Singh, Mr Des Raj Tandon, Ms Ranjana Shahi, Mr Prem Sagar Jain, Ms Satinder Dhawan and Mr RK Aggarwal.

Electricity Committee: Ms Kamla Sharma, Mr OP Goyal, Mr Bachan Singh, Mr Raj Kumar Goyal, Mr Gurcharan Dass Kala, Maj-Gen Gurdial Singh (retd) and Ms Parsun Kaur.

House Tax Assessment Committee: Mr Prem Sagar Jain, Mr OP Goyal, Mr KK Addiwal, Mr RL Arora, Mr RS Kailey, Mr Gian Chand Gupta and Ms Kamlesh.

Slum Development Committee: Mr Rajinder Kumar, Mr Kanhya Lal, Mr KK Addiwal, Ms Kamla Sharma, Mr Bachan Singh Mr Raj Kumar Goyal and Ms Sunita.

Art, Culture and Sports Committee: Mr RL Arora, Maj-Gen Rajinder Nath (retd), Air Marshal RS Bedi (retd), Mr Prem Sagar Jain, Mr Gian Chand Gupta, Ms Satinder Dhawan and Dr IC Pathak.

Environment and City Beautification Committee: Mr Harish Bhanot, Mr Des Raj Tandon, Air Marshal RS Bedi (retd), Ms Kamla Sharma, Ms Harjinder Kaur, Ms Saudamini Bambah and Ms Surya Pandit.

Apni Mandi Committee: Mr Kanhya Lal, Mr KK Addiwal, Mr Mohinder Singh, Maj-Gen Rajinder Nath (retd), Ms Sunita, Mr Gurcharan Dass Kala and Mr RS Kailey.

Legal Affairs Committee: Mr OP Goyal, Mr RL Arora, Ms Harjinder Kaur, Ms Surya Pandit, Ms Kamlesh, Dr IC Pathak and Ms Parsun Kaur.